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Brown Coat Unlocks 25-Year Murder Mystery
3 Jan
Summary
- A simple brown coat found after 25 years led to conviction.
- Raja Kolander, known for collecting skulls, was convicted.
- Two young men were murdered in 2000 after picking up passengers.
A Lucknow court has delivered justice 25 years after the disappearance and murder of Manoj Kumar Singh and Ravi Srivastava. The case, which involved Raja Kolander, a man known for collecting human skulls and alleged cannibalism, finally saw closure with a conviction. The breakthrough came not from a confession, but from a simple brown coat recovered from Kolander's residence.
In January 2000, Manoj and Ravi vanished after picking up passengers near Charbagh railway station, with their last known stop in Rae Bareli. Their mutilated bodies were later discovered in the Shankargarh forest. The seemingly insignificant brown coat, identified as Manoj's, became a crucial piece of evidence, bridging decades of investigative challenges.
Raja Kolander and his accomplice Bachhraj Kol were sentenced to life imprisonment for the kidnapping, robbery, and murder. The court described the crime as a "professionally executed and organised criminal conspiracy," rejecting pleas for leniency. This verdict concludes one of India's darkest criminal sagas, emphasizing patience and evidence over notoriety.
