Nithari murder case: Pandher appears as accused in CBI court

GHAZIABAD: More than a year after thegrisly crimes were committed, Moninder Singh Pandher on Wednesday appeared forthe first time in court as an accused for the rape and murder of 20-year-oldPinki Sarkar. Pandher was produced in the court of special CBI judgeRama Jain along with co-accused Surendra Koli after being brought from Dasnadistrict jail by a posse of around 40 policemen. He was made to signdocuments in connection with the rape and murder of Pinki Sarkar in October 2006for which charges have been framed. The judge posted the hearing forJanuary 5 and is due to hear the case regarding the rape and murder of Anjaliand Madhu, both aged 14 years, on Thursday. It had on November 28issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Pandher and ordered framing of chargesagainst him for the rape-murder on the petition of Bandana Sarkar, Pinki'smother. The CBI probing the case has given Pandher a clean chitwhile naming Koli the main accused in the 11 chargesheets filed by the agency.The grisly killings came to light in December last year after policefound skeletal remains, including at least 17 human skulls, in the premises ofPandher's Sector 31 house in Noida.