Surendra Koli, acquitted in Nithari killings case, found dead in Haridwar

Surendra Koli, who was acquitted by the Supreme Court in the last remaining case linked to the 2006 Nithari killings, was found dead at a tea stall in Haridwar on Friday, police said.

Koli, who was in his early 50s, had been running the tea stall in Uttarakhand after his release. Police said a preliminary inquiry indicated suicide, while an investigation was under way to establish the circumstances surrounding his death. No suicide note had been reported.

Koli and his former employer, Moninder Singh Pandher, were accused in multiple cases arising from the Nithari killings in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The case came to light in December 2006 after human remains, including bones and skulls, were found in a drain near Pandher's house in Nithari village.

The discovery triggered a major investigation into the disappearance and deaths of children and women from the area. Koli, who worked as domestic help at Pandher's house, was subsequently arrested along with his employer.

Koli was convicted in several cases and sentenced to death. However, courts later acquitted him in a series of cases.

In November 2025, the Supreme Court allowed Koli's curative petition in the final case, citing inconsistencies in the evidentiary basis for his conviction. The court noted that the outcomes in the connected cases had become irreconcilable despite relying on the same evidentiary framework.

The Supreme Court had also upheld acquittals in 12 connected prosecutions in July 2025.

The Nithari killings remain one of India's most closely followed criminal cases, with the discovery of human remains at the centre of a lengthy investigation and legal battle.

With inputs from Agencies