Surinder Koli, acquitted in 2006 Nithari serial killings case, dies by suicide at tea stall in Haridwar | India News
NEW DELHI: Surinder Koli, who was acquitted in the last remaining case linked to the 2006 Nithari serial killings, died by suicide at a tea stall in Haridwar on Friday, police said.His body was found at a tea stall in the Bhupatwala area, near the Lal Mata temple, where he had been living and working in recent months. Police said no suicide note had been found and an investigation was under way.“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,” police told PTI videos.Koli’s death comes less than a year after the Supreme Court acquitted him in the final case connected to the Nithari killings and ordered his immediate release in November 2025. He had spent nearly two decades in prison after being arrested in connection with the disappearance and killings of children and young women in Noida.Koli, who was 30 when arrested in 2006, had worked as a domestic help at the Noida home of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher. He was convicted in multiple cases and awarded several death sentences before the convictions were overturned in subsequent appeals. The Supreme Court’s final acquittal brought an end to the criminal cases against him related to Nithari.
What happened in Nithari
The Nithari killings came to light in December 2006 after human skeletal remains were found in a drain near bungalow D-5 in Sector 31, Noida, which belonged to Pandher. The discovery followed months of complaints over missing children and young women from the area.s in the 12 cases in 2025. In November that year, it also allowed his curative petition in the final pending cThe recovery of skulls and bones triggered nationwide outrage and led to the arrest of Koli and Pandher. The case was subsequently transferred from the Uttar Pradesh Police to the CBI amid criticism of the initial investigation. CBI searches around the bungalow and adjoining areas led to the recovery of further human remains.Koli was eventually convicted in 13 cases by the trial court. However, the legal case against him unravelled over the years. In October 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli in 12 cases and Pandher in two, citing serious shortcomings in the investigation and questioning the reliability of crucial evidence, including Koli’s confession.
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The Supreme Court upheld Koli’s acquittal, setting aside his conviction and ordering his release. The court held that the evidentiary basis for the conviction could not stand after the same evidence had been rejected in the other cases.Pandher, meanwhile, was released from prison in October 2023 after his acquittal.
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