The families of the children murdered in the Nithari serial killings have expressed anguish and disbelief following the Supreme Court’s acquittal of Surendra Koli, the prime accused in the gruesome case that shook the nation between 2005 and 2006. The victims’ relatives have questioned how both Koli and co-accused Moninder Singh Pandher could walk free despite the horrific crimes that claimed the lives of several children in Noida’s Sector-31.
Families express outrage over acquittal
The Supreme Court on November 11, 2025, acquitted Koli in the only remaining case in which his conviction and life sentence had been upheld. The bench, led by Chief Justice Bhushan R Gavai, along with Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, ruled that it would be unjust to uphold his conviction in a single case when he had already been acquitted in 12 other identical cases arising from the same evidence.
However, the verdict has reignited grief and anger among the victims’ families. “We were pained when Pandher was acquitted. If Koli is not responsible for it, if Pandher is not responsible for it, why were they jailed for all these years? In that case, those who jailed them should be punished. If they are not the perpetrators, who is?” said the father of one of the victims.
Another grieving mother broke down, saying, “Moninder and Surendra killed so many children. Was there a ghost in that house which killed all the children? They used to kill children and indulge in organ trafficking. Now they say they are innocent. Law is letting them go; God won’t.”
The Nithari killings: a case that horrified the nation
The Nithari killings came to light in December 2006, when the Noida Police discovered human remains, including bones and skulls, near the house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Sector-31, Noida, adjacent to Nithari village. Investigations revealed a chilling pattern of child abduction, sexual assault, murder, and alleged cannibalism.
Pandher’s domestic help, Surendra Koli, was accused of luring children to the house, killing them, and disposing of their remains in the backyard. The case, one of the most gruesome in India’s criminal history, triggered national outrage and led to a series of fast-track trials.
Supreme Court’s reasoning behind the verdict
In its judgment, the Supreme Court said that Koli’s 2011 conviction and life sentence in the particular case could not be legally sustained when all other similar convictions had been overturned. The bench observed that maintaining a single conviction on identical evidence would be inconsistent with the principles of justice.
Justice Vikram Nath, delivering the verdict for the bench, stated, “The petitioner be released forthwith if not wanted in any other case. The jail superintendent is to be informed of this judgment immediately.”
The court had earlier, on October 7, hinted that continuing to imprison Koli under such circumstances would amount to a “travesty of justice.” Koli was represented by senior advocate Yug Mohit Chaudhary and advocate Payoshi Roy in his final appeal through a curative petition—the last judicial remedy available in the Indian legal system.
Legal experts divided on verdict
Legal experts have expressed mixed opinions on the acquittal. While some have argued that the judgment upholds the principle of legal consistency, others believe it fails to deliver substantive justice to the victims’ families.
A retired judge, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The court has followed due process, but the emotional vacuum this verdict leaves cannot be denied. When multiple cases are based on the same evidence, acquittal in some may render the rest untenable in law.”
Families demand reinvestigation
Meanwhile, several victims’ families have demanded a fresh probe into the case, insisting that justice has been denied. “The police must have evidence of who committed those murders. If not Koli and Pandher, then who buried all those children behind the house?” said another parent.
Human rights activists and lawyers are also urging the government to consider reopening the investigation under modern forensic standards, arguing that many of the early probes relied on circumstantial evidence and confessions obtained under questionable conditions.
Conclusion
The Supreme Court’s acquittal of Surendra Koli has reopened deep wounds for the families of Nithari’s victims. While the court’s decision rests on legal grounds of fairness and consistency, it has left many unanswered questions about the fate of the children and the accountability for their horrific deaths.
For the families, the haunting question remains: If not Koli and Pandher, then who killed their children?