Nithari serial killer Surinder Koli's death sentence was on Wednesday commuted to life imprisonment by the Allahabad High Court's Division bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PKS Baghel.
The decision was made by the two judges on the Public Interest Litigation filed by People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), challenging the death sentence awarded to Surendra Koli, prime accused in the Nithari serial killings case.
Koli had earlier filed a similar petition, challenging the death sentence on the same ground as the one stated in the PIL, reports Zee News.
The PIL was filed on 31 October 2014, three days after the Supreme Court rejected Koli's recall application.
On 2 September last year, the trial court had issued the death warrant for Koli and fixed 12 September as the date of hanging, though its execution was stayed in view of the apex court's decision to hear the recall application.
The horrific case pertains to the rape and murder of 19 young women and children in businessman MS Pandher's bungalow. The discovery of the body parts (in a drain behind the bungalow) was made in December 2009.
Koli was Pandher's domestic help.
