NEWS > 02 January 2007

Article sourced from

Guardian Unlimited - UK
02 January 2007

This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.

Riots over police inaction on

Crowds rampaged through an upmarket suburb of Delhi yesterday smashing shops and fighting with police after two men appeared in court accused of raping and killing at least 15 women and children.
In what appears to be India's worst serial killing case, Mohinder Singh Pandher, a businessman, and his servant, Surendra, confessed to the murders in the prosperous Noida neighbourhood, after police dug out the remains of their victims over the New Year holiday. The dismembered bodies had been dumped in drains.

There has been an explosion of public anger after it emerged that at least 38 people had disappeared over two years, many from the families of migrant workers and domestic servants, and the police had apparently done little to investigate because of the low status of the victims.
For two days angry residents have stoned the police. A mob stormed Pandher's house, breaking down gates and doors on Saturday, and attempted to destroy the businessman's car.

In a gruesome twist to the case, there were reports that the murders were part of an organ transplant scam, prompting crowds to smash up a local private hospital and even beat up some patients.

At first two low-ranking police constables were suspended, but yesterday it emerged that another five, more senior, officers had been relieved of their duties for negligence.

Noida is close to Delhi but is within Uttar Pradesh, a state synonymous with poor policing and rampant crime. The local police chief, RKS Rathore, has defended his force, saying the breakthrough emerged only when they questioned Surendra over the whereabouts of a 26-year-old woman. Surendra broke down after failing to explain why he had the woman's mobile phone.

Police have filled plastic bags containing skulls and bones, as well as clothes, jewellery and backpacks, from 30 people.

Surendra, police say, has confessed to having "sex with corpses". The pair appeared in court yesterday to face the victims' families. Pandher told them he had made a "mistake" and asked for their forgiveness.

EiP Comments:

* We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper or periodical. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and we will remove the article. The articles republished on this site are provided for the purposes of research , private study, criticism , review, and the reporting of current events' We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper , periodical or other works. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and where necessary we will remove the work concerned.

Other related articles:

Article sourced from

Guardian Unlimited - UK02 January 2007

Riots over police inaction on

EiP Comments:

Guardian Unlimited - UK
02 January 2007