Nithari killings 2006: Surendra Koli dies by suicide in Haridwar, police begin probe

Surendra Koli, the accused in the infamous 2005-06 Nithari killings case in Noida, died by suicide in Haridwar on September 18 police said, according to a India Today report. His death comes less than a year after the Supreme Court acquitted him in the last case pending against him and ordered his release from prison.

Koli (50) was reportedly found hanging inside a tea stall in the Bhupatwala area of North Haridwar. The stall was located opposite Lalmata Temple on Sapt Sarovar Road, where Koli had reportedly been working as a tea seller for the past few days. Police reached the spot after receiving information about the incident and have begun an investigation.

Police have reportedly informed his relatives, while further details, including a possible motive, were not immediately available.

Koli's connection to the Nithari killings

The Nithari case came to light in December 2006 after human remains were recovered from a drain near House D-5 in Nithari, Noida. Several children and young women had gone missing from the area between 2005 and 2006.

Koli, who worked as a domestic help for businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, was subsequently accused along with Pandher in multiple cases related to murder, abduction, rape and destruction of evidence. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later took over the investigation, and Koli was convicted in multiple cases by trial courts and sentenced to death in several of them.

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Supreme Court acquittal in 2025

The trial against Koli continued for years. In 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli and Pandher in several Nithari cases, citing shortcomings in the prosecution's evidence. The Supreme Court upheld those acquittals in July 2025, although Koli remained in prison because one case was still pending.

In November 2025, the Supreme Court allowed Koli's curative petition in the final case against him and set aside his conviction. The three-judge bench headed by then Chief Justice BR Gavai ordered his release if he was not required in any other case. The court noted that the prosecution had failed to establish his guilt beyond reasonable doubt and criticised aspects of the investigation and evidentiary record.