The Supreme Court on Wednesday delivered a scathing critique of the police investigation into the Nithari killings, finding that the case against Surinder Koli was built on weak circumstantial evidence unsupported by forensic proof. The bench, comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, and Justice Vikram Nath, ordered Koli’s immediate release after nearly two decades in jail.

The court observed that the confession allegedly made by Koli was unreliable, noting that he had been kept in custody for over 60 days without access to legal counsel or medical examination. As per reports, SC also took serious note of the trial magistrate’s remarks that Koli may have been tutored or tortured while in custody and forced to confess the crime.

Neglected leads and forensic lapses

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