The Noida serial murders (also known as the Nithari Kand) have been described as among the most notorious crimes ever perpetrated in India. Between 2005 and 2006, at least 16 children and women were killed in a small village called Nithari just outside New Delhi. Their skeletal remains were linked to local businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, who was accused of the murderstogether with his servant Surrender Koli.

What made matters even worse were the rising claims of corruption among the police investigating the killings. Singh was rich and influential, while the victims and their families were poor villagers, so accusations quickly arose that Singh was using his status to evade justice. The police limited the media’s access to the case, reduced the number of the bodies supposedly found, and even took credit for those that were found by the villagers.

Surrender Koli was convicted of five of the murders and received five death sentences. Singh was initially also sentenced to death for one of the killings, but the decision was later overturned. He is now not charged with any crimes but is still under investigation for 12 murders. If he is convicted of any of them, he could get the death penalty after all.