Families of the Nithari serial killing victims are grappling with shock and despair following the Supreme Court's recent decision to acquit Surendra Koli. The court set aside Koli's conviction in the last pending case against him, which involved the rape and murder of a teenage girl. This ruling has reopened old wounds for the families, who have been seeking justice for nearly two decades since the horrific discoveries in 2006.

Speaking from Nithari village in Noida, the mother of one victim expressed her disbelief, asking, "Was there a ghost in that house that killed all the children?" She lamented that despite the law freeing Koli, divine justice would prevail. Another father echoed her sentiments, questioning the integrity of the verdict. He stated, "If Koli is not responsible and Pandher is not responsible, then why were they kept in jail for all these years?"

The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice BR Gavai, noted significant flaws in the investigation, including improper evidence handling and inconsistencies in case documents. The bench expressed regret that the true perpetrator of the Nithari killings remains unidentified, despite extensive investigations. Justice Vikram Nath, while delivering the judgment, emphasized that the evidence used to convict Koli was unreliable and that suspicion alone cannot replace proof beyond reasonable doubt.

Koli, who had previously been sentenced to death in multiple cases, had already been acquitted in twelve others. The court's ruling means that all criminal cases against him related to the Nithari killings are now closed. However, for the grieving families, the verdict has not provided closure. They continue to seek answers to the haunting question: if not Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher, then who killed their children?

The Nithari killings, which came to light in December 2006, involved the discovery of skeletal remains of several missing children in a drain behind Pandher's house. Koli, who worked as Pandher's domestic help, was accused of the gruesome murders. Despite the public outrage and years of legal battles, the families are left with unresolved pain and a quest for justice that remains unfulfilled.