New Delhi: Nearly two decades after the Nithari killings case shocked the nation, Surendra Koli walked out of jail a free man Wednesday evening. Dressed in a blue shirt, dark jacket and trousers, he emerged from prison surrounded by policemen and lawyers, only his eyes and greying hair visible as the rest of his face remained covered by a mask.

Two days ago, the Supreme Court acquitted Koli, the key accused and death row convict in the final pending rape and murder case against him, effectively closing one of India’s most disturbing yet dramatic criminal sagas.

Koli’s conviction in this case, involving the 2005 killing of a 15-year-old girl, had earlier been upheld by the top court in February 2011. However, he approached the Supreme Court again through a curative petition this year. H

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