In December 2006, around 25 skeletons were recovered in the now infamous Nithari village in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The investigation led to businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help Surinder Koli being arrested on charges of rape and murder.
Koli later confessed to the charges of murder, rape and cannibalism. From the dingy bylanes of Nithari, the entire case played out on TV screens across India.
Ten years later, a documentary called The Karma Killings, by Ram Devineni and Tushar Prakash, revisits the case to argue that in the case of the Nithari killings there is also a story of miscarried justice and class warfare.
The directors of the documentary spoke to The Quint on why they chose to revisit the horrific case, anecdotes of meeting with Surinder Koli, and why they argue that Moninder Singh Pandher is innocent of all charges.
Video Editor: Hitesh Singh
(This article was being republished from The Quint’s archives after Moninder Singh Pandher and Surinder Koli were given death sentence. The story was originally published on 23 January 2017.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)