Twist and Turn in Nithari Case

Nov 29:  Court orders framing of murder and rape charges against Pandher

It did a volte-face when the special CBI court in Ghaziabad on Wednesday ordered framing of murder and rape charges against Monindar Singh Pandher.

He is an accused in the murder and rape of Pinki Sarkar, one of the victims of Nithari killings. Earlier Pandher was given clean chit by the investigating agency.

The order was passed by special judge Rama Jain based on application moved by Vandana Sarkar, mother of Pinki Sarkar through her lawyer Khalid Khan.

The judge as well passed a non-bailable warrant against Pandher who is alleged to have killed Pinki Sarkar with the help of his servant Sureindar Koli.

The court ordered framing of charges of destruction of evidence, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy against Pandher, who is at present in judicial custody.

It is also reported that Sarkar has filed a police complaint against CBI Director Vijay Shanker, Superintendent of Police J A Jeelani and one more person for allegedly indulging in coercion leading to death of her husband Jatin Sarkar, whose body was found in a river in Murshidabad on November 18.

A case has been registered against these three in Murishdabad police station in West Bengal.

Previously the CBI court absolved Pandher of all charges in the want of evidence of his role in murder and abduction.

Last year police discovered skeletal remains of at least 20 children and women in a drain behind Pandher’s house in Nithari in Noida district of Uttar Pradesh.

Dramatic twist came in the whole scenario when Nand Lal one of the prime witness whose daughter Payal’s remains too were found retracted back his statement clearing Pandhers of all charges he had made earlier accusing him for bribing the then circle officer Dinesh Yadav, showing the weapon used to killed the innocent and tearing off pages from his diary in Nandlal’s presence.

CBI charged Koli for rape and murder while Pandher was charged under the provisions of the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act.

This order passed by the court will give relief to those who are fighting to get the murderer punished. Vandana Sarkar has alleged that her husband died in mysterious circumstances as he had the copy of the first case diary where Pandher had confessed to the killings.

This new turn has tightened the noose on Pandher’s and others neck who have seems to clear the way for Pandher.