Cannibalistic killer, aide sentenced to life in 25-year-old double murder case

By Sagaya Fernando | May 25, 2025

 

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA: In a landmark verdict that concludes a chilling saga of serial killings, a court in Uttar Pradesh’s capital, Lucknow, on Friday, May 23, 2025, sentenced notorious serial killer and self-proclaimed cannibal Raja Kolander, also known as Ram Niranjan Kol, and his brother-in-law Bachhraj Kol to life imprisonment for the 2000 abduction and double murder of 22-year-old Manoj Kumar Singh and his driver, Ravi Srivastava.

 

The sentencing by Additional District and Sessions Judge Rohit Singh comes 25 years after the brutal murders and more than a decade after the trial officially began in May 2013. The judge found both convicts guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 364 (kidnapping), 394 (robbery with murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), and 412 (receiving property obtained during dacoity).

 

Premeditated and Orchestrated Crime

 

According to the prosecution, the victims were abducted from Charbagh railway station area in Lucknow on January 24, 2000, after they offered a ride in their Tata Sumo to six passengers, including a woman. The last known location of the vehicle was Harchandpur in Rae Bareli, where the duo stopped for tea and spoke to family members.

 

Three days later, after Manoj and Ravi failed to return, a missing report was filed at Naka police station. The mutilated remains of Manoj Kumar Singh and Ravi Srivastava were later discovered in the forests of Shankargarh in Prayagraj district. Post-mortem confirmed the victims were murdered. Investigations revealed the motive was personal jealousy—Manoj Singh was reportedly close to Kolander's sister and was gaining prominence, which enraged the accused.

 

Convicted Cannibal and ‘Skull Collector’

 

Raja Kolander, now in his 60s, is one of India’s most feared serial killers. Originally from Hinauta village in Prayagraj district, Kolander belonged to the scheduled Kol tribe and had once worked as a fourth-class employee at a Central Ordnance factory. His descent into crime led him to be dubbed the “cannibal killer” after his arrest in 2000. Human skulls were found at his farmhouse, and he reportedly admitted to roasting skulls, consuming human flesh, and drinking blood-based soup. He maintained a diary listing the names of 14 individuals he claimed to have murdered.

 

Among his many victims was journalist Dhirendra Singh, whose decapitated and mutilated body was found in December 2000. Singh’s murder was the breakthrough that uncovered Kolander's horrifying activities. During interrogation, he confessed to Singh’s murder, claiming he was lured to Kolander's farmhouse in Ramsagara, killed, and his dismembered remains were scattered across Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh. In 2012, an Allahabad court sentenced Kolander and Bachhraj to life imprisonment in that case.

 

Sentence and Fines

 

In Friday's verdict, the court sentenced both convicts to life imprisonment, rejecting pleas for leniency based on age and background. Raja Kolander’s legal team argued that he was elderly and had cooperated with the trial; Bachhraj’s defence claimed he was a juvenile at the time of the crime and came from a marginalized, impoverished family. The court rejected these arguments, observing that “the nature and planning of the crime left no room for sympathy.”

 

The judge described the duo as “undoubtedly dangerous and audacious,” highlighting the “professionally executed and organised criminal conspiracy” behind the murders. The court imposed a fine of ₹2.5 lakh (approximately $3,000) on each convict, directing that 80% of the amount be paid as compensation to the victims’ families, while the remaining 20% would be remitted to the state government for legal expenses.

 

The sentences for kidnapping, murder during robbery, and destruction of evidence will run concurrently, though both convicts will serve life imprisonment till their natural death, as ruled by the court.

 

A Trail of Death and Madness

 

Kolander’s crimes spanned at least a decade, beginning in the 1990s, and included some of the most horrifying murders in modern Indian criminal history. Police recovered 14 human skulls, evidence of decapitations, and a chilling diary from his farmhouse, which documented his killings with coded entries such as “Dheere-Dheere Lal.”

 

Among the victims were individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Ashok Kumar, Muin, Santosh, and Kali Prasad Srivastava, an employee at the Ordnance Depot. Kolander reportedly targeted Kali Prasad simply because he belonged to the Kayastha community, whom Kolander believed to have “sharp brains.” He confessed to killing Kali, roasting his skull, and consuming his brain.

 

Psychiatrists who assessed Kolander described him as a psychopath, but legally fit to stand trial. He reportedly believed himself to be a monarch with divine authority, naming his sons Adalat (court) and Zamanat (bail), and referring to his wife as Phoolan Devi, after the infamous bandit queen.

 

Legacy of Horror

 

Kolander’s case was so shocking that it became the subject of the Netflix true crime documentary “Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer”, which brought global attention to his horrendous activities. The documentary detailed the psychological profiling of Kolander and recounted the harrowing testimonies of victims' families and law enforcement officials.

 

Following Friday’s verdict, there was an eerie silence at Kolander’s residence in Ram Sagara, Naini. His mother-in-law, who spoke briefly to local media, said she had no knowledge of the sentencing and added that both Kolander’s sons now live away from the area.

 

The conclusion of this case offers some closure to the families of Manoj Kumar Singh and Ravi Srivastava, as well as to others who lived in fear of a man who symbolised one of the darkest chapters in India’s criminal history.