If you happen to cross D5 in Nithari village today, you could miss the 16 horrible deaths. The cottage that became known as the ‘House of Horrors’ when the deaths of children were revealed in 2006 is practically covered behind deep vegetation.
In 13 of the 16 instances heard in the trial court, accused Koli obtained a death sentence, with one commuted to life in prison. In three trials, he was found not guilty. Another accused Pandher was condemned to death in two instances and was sentenced to seven years in another. The high court acquitted Pandher in both of his cases and Koli in all 12 of his cases on Monday.
The following is a chronology of the case:
Oct 7, 2006 | Five months after a 22-year-old lady goes missing in Nithari, the first FIR is filed on the instructions of a local court.
Dec 29, 2006 | Eight skeleton bones were discovered in a gutter near to the D-5 home in Nithari during police searches. Moninder Singh Pandher, the owner of the house, and his domestic servant Surinder Koli have been detained. More skeletons have been discovered.
Jan 3, 2007 | Three top police officers and some local policemen are suspended after a two-member commission finds shortcomings in dealing with missing children cases over the last two years.
Jan 10, 2007 | The UP government has turned over the case to the CBI. Its workers recover additional bones from the drain, but there is no way to determine the overall number of casualties. Chargesheets have been filed in 16 rape, murder, abduction, criminal conspiracy, and trafficking cases.
Mar 1, 2007 | In a taped confession, Koli confesses to sexual assault and the murder of six children and a lady, in addition to cannibalism.
Feb 13, 2009| The CBI court issues its first decision in the case, and Koli and Pandher are condemned to death. almost the course of the 13-year trial, the court would have almost 2,000 sessions.
Jul 20, 2014 | President Pranab Mukherjee rejects Koli’s demand for compassion in relation to other death sentences.
Jul 24, 2014 | The Supreme Court dismisses Koli’s review petition.
Sept 8, 2014 | Counsel Indira Jaisingh approaches the Supreme Court to hear Koli’s review petition again, with less than four hours till his hanging at a Meerut prison at 5.30 a.m. After midnight, a bench of justices HL Dattu and Anil R Dave convenes and, at 1.40 a.m., postpones the execution for a week. Koli’s lawyers travel to Meerut with the stay order and hand it over to jail authorities at 3.30 a.m.
Oct 29, 2014 | A Supreme previous bench led by former Chief Justice HL Dattu hears the review petition, concluding that there was no error in previous judgments.
Jan 29, 2015 | Koli’s death sentence is commuted to life mymedic.es imprisonment by an Allahabad High Court division bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud (now CJI) and Justice PKS Baghel. They argue that it would be ‘unconstitutional in light of the excessive delay’ in determining his mercy petition.
Mar 2, 2019 | Koli receives his tenth death sentence at trial 2022| Trial court concludes proceedings in all 16 Nithari cases
Read More: Same-Sex Marriage Update LIVE: Supreme Court Gathers, Four Judgments To Be Issued
Sep 10, 2023 | The Allahabad High Court reserved its decision on Koli and Pandher’s appeal against their conviction and death sentence in the Nithari crimes.
Oct 16, 2023 | The Supreme Court acquits Koli in 12 cases in which he was sentenced to death. Pandher was also acquitted in two trials where he had been sentenced to death.
