| Wednesday, January 17, 2007 |
| Nithari: Pandher admits he knew of rape, killings |
Moninder Singh Pandher, the main accused in the bizarre killings of children in Nithari village, Noida, has, for the first time since his arrest, confronted his co-accused and servant Surendra Koli face to face and indicated that he had been aware of the ongoing sexual assault and killings.
Investigators said Pandher and Koli are being interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly sexually assaulting and murdering dozens of people.
Pandher has maintained, since his arrest over two weeks ago, that he had no knowledge of his servant's alleged involvement in the serial killings.
"This is a big breakthrough for us. Until now, Pandher had never admitted having any knowledge about Koli's activities," a senior CBI official said. "To take the investigation forward, it was decided to bring them face to face," he said.
Meanwhile, more bags containing human flesh and body parts were recovered from Nithari. Investigators suspect that some bodies might have been buried in the house itself.
On the basis of the statements of Pandher and Koli, investigators also began to weed out contradictions in their versions.
The Noida police have said that Koli has confessed to his involvement in the sexual assault and deaths, but Pandher has denied any knowledge of the whole incident.
Several employees at Pandher's industrial-equipment factory in Noida were questioned about Pandher's personal and professional life, and his frequent foreign trips.Labels: nithari |
| posted by a correspondent @ 10:18 AM |
|
|
|
