Nithari case: Moninder Pandher walks out of jail
Noida (PTI): Moninder Singh Pandher, who was arrested in the sensational 2006 Nithari serial killings case, walked out of Luksar jail in Greater Noida on Friday, four days after the Allahabad High Court acquitted him.
The 65-year-old was dressed in a white Pathani suit paired with a waistcoat and sports shoes as he walked out of the high-security prison around 1:40 pm.
Pandher, who had a mask on, was received by a couple of advocates. He got into a car and drove off without speaking to anyone.
The High Court on Monday acquitted him and his domestic help Surendra Koli in the case after noting that the prosecution had failed to prove guilt "beyond reasonable doubt" and that the investigation was botched up.
The two were charged with rape and murder and sentenced to death by a lower court in the killings in Nithari, Noida, that horrified the nation with the details of sexual assault, brutal murder and hints of possible cannibalism.
"Today, we received the second court order (related to Pandher's release). After completing the due formalities, he was released from jail," Luksar Jail Superintendent Arun Pratap Singh told PTI.
The jail officer had earlier told PTI that Pandher was lodged in the Tuberculosis ward of the prison and was undergoing treatment for the disease.
"He was lodged in the Dasna jail in the past and brought to Luksar jail in June this year," Singh added.
Koli, the key accused, continues to be behind bars in Ghaziabad's Dasna jail. He is serving life imprisonment for killing a 14-year-old girl.
The Nithari killings came to light with the discovery of the skeletal remains of eight children from a drain behind Pandher's house in Noida, bordering the national capital, on December 29, 2006.
Further digging and searches of drains in the area around Pandher's house led to the recovery of more skeletal remains. Most of these remains were that of poor children and young women who had gone missing from the area.
Within 10 days, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case and its search resulted in the recovery of more bones.
In all, 19 cases were lodged against Pandher and Koli in 2007. The CBI had filed closure reports in three due to lack of evidence. Of the remaining 16 cases, Koli was earlier acquitted in three cases and his death sentence in one case was commuted to life.
Pandher was initially charged in six cases, according to his lawyer.
He was acquitted in three cases by the sessions court earlier. He has been acquitted by the Allahabad High Court in the remaining three -- one in 2009 and in two on Monday.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
