Nithari case: Surendra Koli found dead in his Haridwar tea shop

HARIDWAR: Surendra Koli, the man at the centre of the sensational Nithari killings who was subsequently acquitted in all 13 cases, was found hanging in 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.

Sub-Inspector at the Haridwar Kotwali police station Vikram Bisht told PTI that the Saptarishi police outpost received information that a man had been found dead in a tea shop on Sapt Sarovar road. The deceased was identified as Koli, a resident of Mangrukhal in Almora.

Shishupal Singh Negi, circle officer, city, told PTI Videos said Koli was living here for some time and running a tea stall on rent.

“Police received information this morning that a person had allegedly hanged himself. Our forensic team reached the spot. At present, it appears to be a case of suicide. The body is in police custody, and the panchanama and post-mortem proceedings are underway,” he said.

The Nithari case came to light in 2006 when skeletal remains, skulls and bones were discovered from the backyard and drains near a bungalow belonging to Pandher in Sector 31, Noida.

The gruesome findings, unearthing the disappearance and killings of several children and women, had triggered nationwide outrage and terrorised the local community.

Pandher, a co-accused in the case, was also in jail for years but was released on October 20, 2023 following his acquittal in the case.

Koli, the only convict in the sensational 2006 Nithari mass killings case, was acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2025 in the last such case.

It was the 13th case in the Nithari killings in which Koli was acquitted. He was earlier acquitted in the 12 other related cases.

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.