Noida killings: CBI heat on disgraced cop

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday raided the Meerut residence of Simranjit Kaur, one of the six Noida Police officers who were dismissed from service following the public outcry over the Nithari killings. Kaur was in charge of the Nithari police post from September 18 to December 21 last year. Although four people went missing from the area during this period, the police did not register a single complaint.

Tuesday's raid — the first such operation carried out by the CBI since the case was transferred to it on January 10 — made it clear that along with the investigations into the serial killing, a probe was also on into lapses on the part of police officers posted in the Nithari area.

A CBI team conducted the search operation at Kaur's house for over two hours. Sources said cash, details of bank lockers, documents and even case papers relating to children missing from Nithari were recovered.

"Kaur and her family members were questioned for over an hour," said a CBI official. The agency is probing whether Kaur owned assets beyond her means and how she still had papers relating to the case in her possession.

"The decision to raid Kaur's house was taken on the basis of information gathered from Pandher and his servant Surendra Koli, and the statements of the victims’ families," the official said. "Investigations also revealed that Kaur had been in close contact with Pandher, and their phone records proved the same.”

The families of some of the victims had alleged that Kaur visited their homes and threatened them. Nand Lal, the father of Payal, one of the victims, said Kaur had labelled his daughter a prostitute when she went missing.

Email Tushar Srivastava and S Raju: tushar@hindustantimes.co,sraju_mrt@rediffmail.com