The Nithari killings, which serve as the inspiration for the Netflix movie Sector 36, were a series of horrifying crimes that took place between 2005 and 2006 in Nithari, a village located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, near Delhi. The case involved the abduction, rape, murder, and dismemberment of multiple children and young women, sending shockwaves throughout India due to the gruesome nature of the crimes.
The case first came to light when two Nithari residents, Jhabbu Lal and Pappu Lal, discovered human remains near a water tank behind a house in the village. They reported that many children had mysteriously disappeared over the previous two years, but local authorities had largely ignored the complaints of the victims’ families, who were poor migrant laborers. When the police failed to act, the villagers sought the help of SC Mishra, a former president of the Resident Welfare Association. With his assistance, they discovered a decomposing hand, which finally triggered a large-scale investigation.
The investigation led to the arrest of Moninder Singh Pandher, a wealthy businessman, and his servant, Surinder Koli. It was revealed that Koli had abducted and killed the victims, mostly children and young women, and had even confessed to acts of cannibalism. Koli described in detail how he dismembered the bodies and, disturbingly, ate parts of them. Pandher, known for his immoral lifestyle, was also implicated in the crimes, as they were committed at his house.
The case attracted widespread media attention due to the brutality of the murders and the apparent failures of law enforcement. In 2009, both Pandher and Koli were convicted for the murder of a young girl named Rimpa Haldar. They were sentenced to death, with Koli later receiving multiple death sentences for other murders. However, Pandher’s conviction was overturned by the Allahabad High Court later that year. Koli’s death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011 but was eventually commuted to life imprisonment due to delays in his mercy petition. Despite being sentenced to death in later convictions, Koli remained imprisoned.
In a controversial turn of events, on October 16, 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted both Pandher and Koli of all charges related to the Nithari killings, 17 years after the crimes were uncovered, leading to renewed public outcry.
Sector 36, produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films and Jio Studios, traces the story of a complacent police inspector who becomes personally involved when several children go missing from a local slum. Directed by Aditya Nimbalkar and written by Bodhayan Roychaudhury, the film stars Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal, drawing inspiration from these real-life events.
