Genre: News > India

Sep 11, 2009: The Allahabad High Court acquitted Moninder Singh Pandher, one of the accused in the Nithari killings.

The court acquitted Pandher in the absence of credible evidence to prove his guilt. However, the court upheld the death sentence given to Pandher's servant Surinder Koli.

The victim's family said they would appeal against the decision in the Supreme Court.

Pandher and Koli were awarded death sentence for the crime by a special court in February this year.

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Background

The gruesome serial murders came into light in December 2006 when residents of Nithari village found human skeletons buried behind Pandher's residence.  

Forensic experts later recovered over 55 bags of skeletons from and outside Pandher's home.    

According to the chargesheet, Koli had necrophilia (having sex with corpses) and was also alleged of cannibalism.

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