Kriti Mehrotra
As a three-part documentary series that delves deep into the tale of alleged cannibal Raja Kolander (born Ram Niranjan), Netflix’s ‘Indian Predator: Diary of a Serial Killer’ is brutally captivating. That’s because it features not just first-hand accounts of several individuals close to the matter but also some grim details of the convict’s actions, all the while he tries to proclaim his innocence. But for now, if you simply wish to learn more about his accomplice/brother-in-law Vakshraj Kol — with a specific focus on his offenses as well as his current standing, we’ve got the details for you.
Who is Vakshraj Kol?
It was seemingly by chance that Vakshraj was alongside his sister’s husband Raja when officials approached the latter regarding Dhirendra Singh’s December 14, 2000, vanishing mere days later. However, since he was in company, he was taken into custody to be interrogated as well, only for things to take a drastic turn once it became apparent he was extremely nervous and scared. He hence became the mark for harsh lines of inquiries, especially as someone had noticed his shoes were eerily similar to a pair owned by the missing journalist, as per the Netflix production.
Vakshraj eventually broke and told detectives the reality of their cellphone link to Dhirendra, following which Raja admitted they’d worked together to slay him, essentially for self-preservation. According to the original docuseries, they consciously took matters into their own hands because they just didn’t want the respected scribe to report on the latter’s criminal past of car looting. ‘Indian Predator’ further indicates it was actually Vakshraj who pulled the trigger on Dhirendra at his brother-in-law’s piggery farm before they disposed of him that evening — Raja was the one to dismember him.
Where is Vakshraj Kol Now?
Although Vakshraj was arrested and charged with murder on December 18, 2000, it took nearly 12 whole years for both him as well as his brother-in-law to be found guilty for good. He was thus sentenced to life in prison on November 30, 2012, along with an additional sentence of three years in rigorous imprisonment and an order to pay two fines totaling ₹15,000, just like Raja. Therefore, today, he continues to serve his penalty in a District Prison in Uttar Pradesh, India. We should mention that the court’s 2012 verdict did clarify that Vakshraj’s involvement in any other case tied to his brother-in-law has not been proved.
Read More: Dhirendra Singh Murder: How Did He Die? Who Killed Him?
