Nithari case accused Surendra Koli dies by suicide in Haridwar months after SC acquittal

Surendra Koli, who was one of the key accused in the notorious Nithari killings case, has reportedly died by suicide in Haridwar, according to reports. Koli, who had been living in Haridwar’s Bhupatwala area, is reported to have been running a tea shop in the city for several years. Reports suggest that he was found hanging inside the shop.

According to an Aaj Tak report citing SHO Kundan Singh Rana, police received a call regarding the death at around 11:30 am on Friday (Sep 18). The circumstances surrounding his death have not yet been independently confirmed through an official police statement. Further details are awaited.

Koli, a resident of Village Magru Khal, District Almora (Uttarakhand), was a former domestic worker at the house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Noida, which became the centre of the Nithari killings investigation after the remains of missing children were discovered in 2006.

Supreme Court had acquitted Koli

Koli's legal status had changed significantly before his reported death. In November 2025, the Supreme Court set aside his conviction in the final pending case linked to the Nithari killings and ordered his release. The court said the prosecution evidence used against him had suffered serious legal deficiencies and that guilt had not been established to the required standard.

The Allahabad High Court had earlier acquitted Koli in multiple other cases, and the Supreme Court subsequently upheld those acquittals.