By IANS,
Nithari (Noida) : They sat glued to their TV sets from morning, wondering what the court verdict would be. A wave of relief swept over Nithari residents Thursday after businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help Surendra Koli were held guilty for the rape and murder of Rimpa Halder, one of the many from the village who was killed.
The judgement by the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court was deferred till evening and pronounced at around 4 p.m.
“The moment Pandher and Koli were announced convicted we hugged each other and thanked god for supporting us in our fight to bring justice to the families of the children and women killed by them,” an ecstatic Satish Kumar said.
After the judgement, several people thronged the road leading to Pandher’s infamous D-5 bungalow in Sector 31 of Noida, adjacent to Nithari village. Fifteen human skulls, skeletal remains and fragments of clothes stuffed in gunny bags were found in a drain behind the bungalow in December 2006.
The bungalow, which has remained shut since the horrific discoveries, was Thursday barricaded and heavy police force deployed, while TV broadcasting vans captured every moment.
“It (the court judgement) is a matter of great relief and happiness for all of us, and we want Pandher and Koli to be hanged,” said 70-year-old Ratan Lal.
Irrespective of age and gender, all the villagers were busy discussing the judgement in Nithari.
“I know what happened in the D-5 bungalow. Those involved have been convicted. I wish they are given stringent punishment,” said Manish Pal, who is just nine.