HARIDWAR, September 18: Surendra Koli, who was acquitted in the remaining cases linked to the 2006 Nithari killings and released in 2025, was found dead at a tea stall in Haridwar on Friday, police said. Authorities said preliminary circumstances suggested suicide, but the body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death and rule out foul play.
Body Found at Tea Stall in Haridwar
Police said Koli had been living in Haridwar for the past few months after his release and had recently been operating a tea stall in the Sapt Rishi/Sapt Sarovar area near Lal Mata Temple.
Officials reached the spot on Friday after receiving information about his death.
No Suicide Note Recovered
Police said no suicide note was found at the scene.
A forensic team examined the location, while investigators began looking into the circumstances surrounding his death. His family members in Almora were also informed.
Authorities have not yet announced a final conclusion on the cause of death.
Autopsy to Confirm Cause of Death
Koli’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination.
Police said the autopsy report will help establish whether the death was suicide or whether any other factor was involved.
The investigation remains open pending the forensic and medical findings.
Supreme Court Acquitted Koli in 2025
Koli had spent nearly two decades in custody in connection with cases arising from the 2006 Nithari killings in Noida.
In October 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted him in 12 cases, citing problems with the prosecution evidence and investigation. The Supreme Court later dismissed challenges to those acquittals.
In November 2025, the Supreme Court also set aside Koli’s conviction in the final remaining case, observing that it would be inconsistent to sustain one conviction when the same evidence had been rejected in the other cases. He was subsequently released.
Nithari Case Drew Nationwide Attention
The Nithari case emerged after human remains were discovered in December 2006 in a drain behind businessman Moninder Singh Pandher’s house in Noida, where Koli had worked as a domestic employee.
Koli and Pandher were arrested in December 2006, and the investigation was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Over the years, courts raised serious concerns about the reliability of Koli’s confession and the recovery evidence used in the prosecutions.
Police Continue Probe Into Death
Haridwar Police said they are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding Koli’s death while awaiting the post-mortem report.
Until the medical examination is complete, authorities have not issued a definitive finding on the cause of death.
source – The Indian Express / Hindustan Times / Times of India
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