CBI defends Pandher in court

GHAZIABAD: The CBI on Monday batted for Nithari co-accused Moninder Singh Pandher, saying he was not in town when two 14-year-old girls were raped and murdered in his Noida house in November 2006.
It's counsel also told special CBI judge Rama Jain that police confessions "are not admissable" in court and that the murder weapon was not tooth-edged like a "saw" but sharp like a knife.
Defending its decision not to frame charges against Pandher for the rape-murder of Madhu and Anjali, they corroborated his lawyer's claim that he was away from Noida when the crimes took place.
Pandher's counsel Manoj Gupta said he was in Pant Nagar and Chandigarh when the two minor girls from Nithari village were allegedly raped and murdered in his Sector 31 bungalow.
After hearing the arguments of Nithari victims' counsel Khalid Khan, Gupta and the CBI prosecutors, the judge fixed December 13 for the next hearing.
The CBI has made Pandher an accused in the rape and murder of Payal (22) and Bandana Sarkar (18) in the 11 chargesheets filed by it which name his servant Surendra Koli as the prime accused.