April 25, 2024 12:55 (IST)
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Nithari case: SC rejects Koli's review plea
New Delhi, Oct 28 (IBNS): The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Nithari murder case convict Surinder Koli's review plea seeking recall of the judgment upholding his death sentence in the Rimpa Haldar murder case, media reported.
In the first open court hearing of a review petition in a death sentence case, a bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu said, "We are fully satisfied that this court has not committed any error that may persuade us to review the order."
This means Koli can be hanged anytime unless the accused files a curative petition and gets a fresh stay. Koli is presently lodged in a high-security barrack in the Meerut jail.
Koli has been found guilty of murdering young women and children at a bungalow in the area of Nithari in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi.
The bungalow belonged to Moninder Singh Pandher, where Koli worked as a domestic help. Pandher was also made co-accused, but later acquitted by court in 2009.
As many as 19 girls were feared to have been raped and killed.
Koli was sentenced to death for murdering 14-year-old Rimpa Halder in 2005.
Pandher was released from jail a month ago.
42-year-old Koli has reportedly confessed to having sex with his dead victims and also eating some of their body parts.
He has already been convicted of five cases of murder, rape and cannibalism while 14 more cases are still pending.
Koli was to be hanged last month in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh but his execution was suspended twice last month by the Supreme Court, which said in a landmark ruling recently that every death row convict has the "fundamental right" to be heard in an open court.
On Tuesday, noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani argued for Koli. Jethmalani is learnt to have said that autopsy report showed that the murder of 14 children was done "by a medical expert" with the objective of trading in organs.
He also argued that Koli was tortured by the police into giving evidence.
But the apex court bench comprising of Chief Justice HL Dattu, Justice Anil R. Dave and Justice S.A. Bobde upheld Koli’s death sentence.
The gruesome case came to light in December 2006 when a girl who was found missing was found murdered later by Koli.
During investigations, Police recovered the skeletal remains of children from a drain adjacent to the house.
Koli was awarded death sentence by a lower court which was upheld by the Allahabad high court and confirmed by the Supreme Court on February 15, 2011 for the murder of Rimpa Halder in 2005.
Last month, a Ghaziabad sessions court had issued death warrant against Surinder Koli in connection with the brutal killing of 14-year-old Rimpa Halder. The sentence was suspended by the Supreme Court for review petition.
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