Nithari case: Families of accused say legal battle took toll on them too

Koli’s family said they faced torture at the hands of society, while Pandher’s family welcomed the acquittal

When Surinder Koli was arrested after discovery of human remains of at least 19 victims in December 2006, his wife Shanti and their young daughter were still in his ancestral village of Mangrukhal in Almora district of Uttarakhand — a small hamlet with around 55 houses.

D-5, Sector 31, Noida, dubbed the “house of horrors”. (PTI)

Since his arrest, Koli has never stepped out of prison. Life, however, has gone on for his family with Shanti, who gave birth to a boy after her husband’s incarceration, and moved to Gurugram to fend for her family.

Narayan Singh, a former zila panchayat member from Almora, said, “His wife left home in 2014 with the two children, and is working in a small factory in Gurugram. But she is staying in hiding to avoid being linked to Koli after the Nithari case. She is taking care of her two children and also taking up their education. Here in Mangukhal, the children did not get admission in school due to the fallout of their father’s name being linked to the killings. If Koli is released, we do not know if his family will reunite with him or not.”

“He has been acquitted in all 12 pending against him. The first case has been upheld by the Supreme Court. But, given these 12 acquittals if something happens in the first case, he may walk free as the evidence in the first case is the same. So, his life imprisonment in the first case remains and it has to be challenged. We will decide about challenging it in coming time,” Roy said.

In 2011, Shanti had told HT, “Everyone pointed fingers at us… We have faced the stigma of being a killer’s family since 2006… I can’t say whether he was involved or not at Noida. But we have faced indirect fallout and torture at the hands of society.”

Koli’s mother Kunta Devi died around a year and half ago, following which his brother moved into the Mangrukhal house. HT reached out to him through phone calls and messages, but he did not respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, the family of Moninder Singh Pandher, Koli’s employer, expressed satisfaction that he was acquitted.

His son Karan Singh, who lives in Chandigarh, said, “From day one, we maintained that he was not involved in the cases. We are glad that at last, justice has been done… My mother is happy about the judgment…”

He added, “The D-5, Sector 31 house in Noida was sealed by the administration after the case came to light. Once my father joins us, we will think about what we will do about this property. which is in my mother’s name...”