The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation on the allegation by a relative of a victim of the Nithari serial killings that the investigating agency was trying to shield Maninder Singh Pandher, an accused in the case.

Bandana Sarkar, whose daughter Pinki was allegedly raped and murdered by Pandher and his servant Surinder Singh Koli, had moved the apex court claiming that her husband Jatin Sarkar, who was in possession of the "confessional" statements of Pandher, was allegedly murdered to protect the guilty from being convicted.