Nithari accused Surendra Koli found hanging at his tea shop

Surendra Koli, acquitted in all 13 Nithari killing cases, was found hanging in his Haridwar tea stall.

Police suspect suicide, but are investigating all angles, awaiting the post-mortem report for a definitive cause of death.

No suicide note was recovered from the scene, and Koli had recently rented the tea stall after his acquittal.

The Nithari case, which involved the discovery of skeletons and bones in Noida in 2006, sparked nationwide outrage.

The Supreme Court acquitted Koli in the final case in 2025, stating that conviction cannot be based on conjecture or hunch.

 

The body of Surendra Koli, the man at the centre of the sensational Nithari killings who was subsequently acquitted in all 13 cases, was found hanging at his tea stall here on Friday, police said.

Koli, who worked as a domestic help at the Noida house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, appears to have ended his life, police said.

Investigation Underway

Haridwar City Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shishupal Singh Negi stated that police arrived at the scene after receiving information about a body lying in the shop located in the Saptarishi area.

They found a noose tied around Koli's neck, while another piece of the rope was tied to the ceiling fan.

Negi said it is suspected that the rope snapped under the weight of the body after death, causing it to fall to the floor.

However, he clarified that the matter is being investigated from all angles, and a definitive statement regarding the cause of Koli's death can only be made after the post-mortem report is received.

He mentioned that no suicide note was recovered from the scene.

According to Negi, police reached the spot around 11 am after the body was discovered in the tea stall located opposite the Lalmata Temple; they conducted an inquest and sent the body for a post-mortem examination.

He said that during the investigation, the deceased was identified as Surendra Koli, a resident of Magrukhal in the Bhikiasain area of ​​Almora.

According to the police, Koli was a native of Almora, and his family has been informed.

Police stated that preliminary inquiries revealed Koli had been living in Haridwar for some time after being acquitted by the court in the Nithari case and had rented the tea stall earlier this month.

In addition to inspecting the scene, the police have begun gathering information from people in the vicinity. The matter is being investigated from all angles.

Background to the Nithari Case

The Nithari case came to light in 2006 when skeletons, skulls, and bones were discovered in the drains and the backyard of businessman Mohinder Singh Pandher's bungalow in Noida's Sector 31.

The incident sparked nationwide outrage after the disappearances and murders of several children and women were revealed.

Pandher, a co-accused in the case, also spent several years in jail but was released on October 20, 2023, after being acquitted.

Koli, the sole convict in the Nithari case, was also acquitted by the Supreme Court in the final case in 2025.

This was the 13th case related to the Nithari incident in which Koli was acquitted; he had previously been acquitted in 12 similar cases.

Supreme Court's Acquittal

Allowing Koli's curative petition challenging his conviction in the case related to the alleged rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Nithari, the apex court had said criminal law does not permit conviction on conjecture or on a hunch.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath had said the offences in Nithari were heinous and the suffering of the families was beyond measure.

"It is a matter of deep regret that despite prolonged investigation, the identity of the actual perpetrator has not been established in a manner that meets the legal standards," the bench had said.

It said that suspicion, however grave, cannot replace proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and the courts cannot prefer expediency over legality.

"The presumption of innocence endures until guilt is proved through admissible and reliable evidence; and when proof fails, the only lawful outcome is to set aside the conviction even in a case involving horrific crimes," the bench had said.