Convict Pandher’s family was known for their generosity at Lohatbaddi

Mahesh Sharma

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Mandi Ahmedgarh, July 24

Even as the special CBI Court of Judge Pawan Kumar Tripathi in Delhi today awarded the capital punishment to Moninder Singh Pandher and Surinder Koli in the eighth case related to infamous serial Nithari sexual abuse and killings, residents of Lohatbaddi, the native village of Pandher, remained tight-lipped about the verdict.

Punishment has been awarded to Pandher in a case of rape and murder of 20-year-old Pinky Sarkar on October 5, 2006.

While a majority of residents had no information about the death penalty awarded to Pandher today, members of families close to his parents and grandparents were aggrieved at the fate of the scion of the clan that was once known for its generosity and religious background.

Showing high esteem for his parents, elderly persons maintained that the present situation could be avoided if Moninder had not lived away from his roots.

“Moninder and his kin had never stayed at the village and that is why a majority of residents showed little interest in the sequence of events leading to the present situation. Now when the court of law has found him guilty of committing heinous crime of raping and killing innocent victims, how can one show sympathy with him?” reacted a resident of Mand Patti where the parental house of Pandher is situated.

A social activist, DR Sharma, said villagers had shown little sympathy with the accused as they felt the incident had brought a bad name to the village and the clan.

Office-bearers of the civic body, including leaders of main political parties, evaded question on the issue. They argued they could not comment on incidents occurring hundreds of kilometres away from their locality. However, they were pained that image of a renowned clan was tarnished due to the misdeeds of one member of the family.

The gruesome cases came to light in 2006 when the police discovered the skulls and bones of 16 persons, mostly children, near Pandher’s house at Nithari village in Noida.