A special CBI court in Ghaziabad on Wednesday postponed its verdict in a Nithari serial killings case after it decided to re-examine one of the witnesses in the rape and murder of eight-year-old girl Aarti.
"Court has decided to examine the statement of Dinesh Yadav for the purpose of clarification. He was the initial investigating officer of the UP Police. Court has summoned Yadav to appear before it on April 15," S P Ahluwalia, special public prosecutor of the Central Bureau of Investigation, said.
The court had earlier convicted and pronounced death penalty for both businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and his servant Surinder Koli in a separate case.
However, in the present case only Koli is the accused.
According to the prosecution, Aarti had gone missing in the afternoon of October 25, 2006 and three days later, police found her remains buried behind Pandher's house in Nithari.
"Surinder Koli has already admitted to his guilt. We are confident that the court will pronounce right judgment in this case also," victim's counsel Praveen Rai told PTI.
Aarti's family members in their recorded statements, as per the charge sheet, have not named 55-year-old Pandher. Even, the CBI has filed a charge sheet only against 38-year-old Koli in the case. Pandher was given a clean chit primarily on the basis of his cell phone records.
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