<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/nithari-killings-sector-36-to-truth-lies-murder-films-and-documentaries-based-on-the-case-1789719814481"><strong>Nithari Killings: Sector 36 to Truth, Lies &amp; Murder, films and documentaries based on the case</strong></a></p><h2><strong>Supreme Court had acquitted Koli</strong></h2><p>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.</p><p>The Allahabad High Court had earlier acquitted Koli in multiple other cases, and the Supreme Court subsequently upheld those acquittals.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/nithari-case-accused-surendra-koli-dies-by-alleged-suicide-a-timeline-of-the-infamous-2006-serial-murders-1789720781118"><strong>Nithari case accused Surendra Koli dies by alleged suicide: A timeline of the infamous 2006 serial murders</strong></a></p><h2><strong>Nithari killings: 5 things you must know</strong></h2><p>The Nithari killings shocked India after the remains of children and young women were recovered from a drain near a house (D-5) in Sector 31, Noida in Noida in December 2006. The case went through nearly two decades of investigation, trials, convictions, and appeals. Here are five key facts:</p><h3><i><strong>1. Human remains of at least 19 victims were linked to the case</strong></i></h3><p>The investigation eventually identified at least 19 alleged victims, mostly children and young women. The case came to light on December 29, 2006, when skeletal remains were found in a drain behind House D-5 in Nithari, Noida.</p><h3><i><strong>2. Surendra Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher were the main accused</strong></i></h3><p>Koli, who worked as a domestic help for businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, faced charges including murder, rape, abduction, and destruction of evidence across multiple cases. Pandher was also prosecuted in several cases, including allegations relating to immoral trafficking.</p><p><strong>Charges against Surendra Koli:</strong></p><p>Murder - Section 302 IPC<br>Kidnapping/abduction - Section 364 IPC<br>Rape - Section 376 IPC<br>Attempt to rape - Section 376 read with Section 511 IPC in some cases<br>Destruction/disappearance of evidence - Section 201 IPC</p><p>The CBI's initial chargesheets accused Koli of abducting, sexually assaulting and murdering victims and disposing of their remains.</p><p><strong>Charges against Moninder Singh Pandher:</strong></p><p>Pandher's charges differed considerably between cases. Initially, the CBI charged him mainly with immoral ttrafficking/prostitution-related offences rather than the murders. He was later summoned as an accused in additional cases by the trial court.</p><p>In the case involving a 20-year-old woman, for which both men were eventually convicted and sentenced to death, Pandher was convicted under:</p><p>Murder - Section 302 IPC<br>Rape - Section 376 IPC<br>Destruction of evidence - Section 201 IPC<br>Criminal conspiracy - Section 120B IPC, read with the above offences</p><p>Koli was convicted in that case under Sections 302, 364, 376 and 201 IPC.</p><h3><i><strong>3. Koli was sentenced to death in multiple cases</strong></i></h3><p>Between 2009 and 2017, Koli was convicted in 13 Nithari-related cases, with death sentences imposed in several of them. In the Rimpa Haldar murder case, the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in 2011. However, the Allahabad High Court commuted that sentence to life imprisonment in 2015 because of the prolonged delay in deciding his mercy petition.</p><h3><i><strong>4. The convictions later collapsed in court</strong></i></h3><p>In October 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli and Pandher in the remaining cases before it, citing the prosecution's failure to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Supreme Court upheld those acquittals in July 2025.</p><h2><i><strong>5. Koli was finally acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2025</strong></i></h2><p>In November 2025, the Supreme Court overturned Koli's last remaining conviction in the Rimpa Haldar case and ordered his release. The court held that allowing the conviction to stand on evidence it had found unreliable in the other cases would result in a miscarriage of justice.</p>

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. Also read | Nithari Killings: Sector 36 to Truth, Lies & Murder, films and documentaries based on the case 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. Also read | Nithari case accused Surendra Koli dies by alleged suicide: A timeline of the infamous 2006 serial murders Nithari killings: 5 things you must know The Nithari killings shocked India after the remains of children and young women were recovered from a drain near a house (D-5) in Sector 31, Noida in Noida in December 2006. The case went through nearly two decades of investigation, trials, convictions, and appeals. Here are five key facts: 1. Human remains of at least 19 victims were linked to the case The investigation eventually identified at least 19 alleged victims, mostly children and young women. The case came to light on December 29, 2006, when skeletal remains were found in a drain behind House D-5 in Nithari, Noida. 2. Surendra Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher were the main accused Koli, who worked as a domestic help for businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, faced charges including murder, rape, abduction, and destruction of evidence across multiple cases. Pandher was also prosecuted in several cases, including allegations relating to immoral trafficking. Charges against Surendra Koli: Murder - Section 302 IPC Kidnapping/abduction - Section 364 IPC Rape - Section 376 IPC Attempt to rape - Section 376 read with Section 511 IPC in some cases Destruction/disappearance of evidence - Section 201 IPC The CBI's initial chargesheets accused Koli of abducting, sexually assaulting and murdering victims and disposing of their remains. Charges against Moninder Singh Pandher: Pandher's charges differed considerably between cases. Initially, the CBI charged him mainly with immoral ttrafficking/prostitution-related offences rather than the murders. He was later summoned as an accused in additional cases by the trial court. In the case involving a 20-year-old woman, for which both men were eventually convicted and sentenced to death, Pandher was convicted under: Murder - Section 302 IPC Rape - Section 376 IPC Destruction of evidence - Section 201 IPC Criminal conspiracy - Section 120B IPC, read with the above offences Koli was convicted in that case under Sections 302, 364, 376 and 201 IPC. 3. Koli was sentenced to death in multiple cases Between 2009 and 2017, Koli was convicted in 13 Nithari-related cases, with death sentences imposed in several of them. In the Rimpa Haldar murder case, the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in 2011. However, the Allahabad High Court commuted that sentence to life imprisonment in 2015 because of the prolonged delay in deciding his mercy petition. 4. The convictions later collapsed in court In October 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli and Pandher in the remaining cases before it, citing the prosecution's failure to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Supreme Court upheld those acquittals in July 2025. 5. Koli was finally acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2025 In November 2025, the Supreme Court overturned Koli's last remaining conviction in the Rimpa Haldar case and ordered his release. The court held that allowing the conviction to stand on evidence it had found unreliable in the other cases would result in a miscarriage of justice.

<p>Surendra Koli, a key accused in the infamous Nithari killings case, has reportedly died by suicide in Haridwar. His death comes months after the Supreme Court set aside his conviction in the final case against him and ordered his release.</p>

<p>Nithari serial killings—the disappearance and alleged murders of over a dozen children in the north Indian city of Noida—was a stomach-churning news story in 2006. Moninder Singh Pandher and his house help Surinder Koli were arrested and charged with shocking crimes ranging from rape and murder to necrophilia and cannibalism. But today, both Pandher and Koli are free men, having been acquitted of all charges after decade-long court battles. The fundamental questions remain: Who killed Nithari kids? How did an 'open and shut' case collapse after nearly 20 years, whose suspects had been given multiple death sentences? Why wasn't the organ trade angle probed enough?</p><h2>The Nithari serial murders: How the story unfolded</h2><p>The Nithari case in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh garnered public attention months after disparate missing person complaints were filed by parents in Sector 31, Noida, about their children—boys and girls aged from five to 19. More than 30 children and young women went missing between 2005 and mid-2006, but complaints were largely ignored because the parents came from poor socioeconomic backgrounds.</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-sector-36-review-vikrant-massey-deepak-dobriyals-performance-draws-you-into-this-gruesome-tale-758274">Sector 36 review: Vikrant Massey, Deepak Dobriyal's performances draw you into this gruesome tale</a>&nbsp;</p><h2>A drain of terror and a house of horrors</h2><p>Eventually, body parts, skulls and human remains began to be recovered from a drain behind House D-5, owned by businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, and occupied by his domestic help, Surinder Koli. The case, splashed across Indian TV channels and newspaper front pages at the time, became all about the alleged rape, murder, and dismemberment of children and young women.</p><p>By late 2006, more and more skeletal remains, items of clothing, and personal belongings of the missing children were recovered in police searches. Amid public outrage, Koli was arrested after one missing girl’s phone was traced to him.</p><p>Then came the alleged confessions: Koli, a poor man from the eastern state of Odisha, allegedly admitted to having committed multiple murders, sexual assaults, dismemberment, and acts of necrophilia. Pandher was arrested shortly after and charged with some of these crimes.</p><p>Also read: India: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/allahabad-hc-acquits-koli-and-pandher-in-nithari-serial-killings-case-647458">Allahabad HC acquits Koli and Pandher in Nithari serial killings case</a></p><h2>India's top investigative agency took the case but allegations of organ trade not probed enough</h2><p>The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the case in January 2007 amid mounting pressure, discovered more remains and evidence.</p><p>Charges were filed in 19 of the cases. Koli was convicted in most of them, and Pandher in fewer. The death penalty was handed down by lower courts for both in the murder of 14-year-old Rimpa Haldar.</p><p>During this period, there were reports and allegations that these murders could not have been the handiwork of one single individual (or two), but possibly an organised crime group involved in organ trafficking. However, this angle was never sufficiently investigated. Several reports suggested that body parts found in the drains and household were removed in ways that indicated professional handling. Both family members and some investigators pointed out that some organs were missing from the recovered human remains. But in the absence of proper forensic evidence and procedural lapses, the organ trade and trafficking angle was not fully explored.</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/nithari-killings-2006-how-reports-of-cannibalism-rapes-and-gory-murders-unfolded-647582">Nithari killings 2006: How reports of cannibalism, rapes and gory murders unfolded</a></p><h2>The acquittals: As shocking as the murders</h2><p>The court battles that followed saw Pandher being acquitted in most cases, while Koli’s sentences were often upheld, commuted, or eventually overturned.</p><p>In 2023, the Allahabad High Court fully acquitted both Pandher and Koli. It cited “shoddy” CBI investigations, unreliable confessions, procedural lapses, and failure to probe leads such as organ trade. Pandher was freed in the same year.</p><p>The Uttar Pradesh government appealed the verdict, as did families of the victims. But in July 2025, India’s Supreme Court upheld the acquittals.</p><p>After nearly 19 years in custody, Koli was released from prison on November 13.</p><p>The courts expressed “deep regret” that the actual perpetrators were not identified beyond legal doubt.</p><p>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/nithari-killings-accused-surendra-koli-set-free-by-supreme-court-1762848505121">Nithari killings: Accused Surendra Koli set free by Supreme Court</a></p><h2>Nithari unsolved: A horrific case now officially back to square one</h2><p>The Nithari murders now echo the shoddy handling of investigations in other high-profile cases in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) such as the Jessica Lal murder, the Aarushi Talwar–Hemraj case, the Shivani Bhatnagar killing, and the Priyanka Matoo case. It remains to be seen if a fresh investigation will be opened, but for Koli and Pandher, the damage to their lives has been done. It is said that one is innocent until proven guilty, but they were acquitted only after having been pronounced guilty and sentenced to multiple death penalties. They have forever been shamed, with films, web series, documentaries, and TV programmes portraying them as monsters. The documentary, <i>India’s Serial Killers: The Nithari Case</i>, the TV show <i>Savdhaan India'</i>s episodes on the murders, and web series like <i>Crime Patrol </i>and the film <i>Sector 36</i> depicted the killings in some form.&nbsp;</p><p>If Koli and Pandher are indeed not the perpetrators, it is safe to assume that the real culprits are silently roaming among the residents of the Indian city.</p><h2>A different type of justice for the poor of India</h2><p>If you search online now for Nithari, you might see interviews of the former suspects explaining their side of the story. It adds to the current trend of former criminals, gangsters, and financial crime-accused becoming podcast guests. We live in an America-inspired era where criminals can become celebrities.&nbsp;</p><p>On the other hand, unlike several other shocking murders in Delhi, the aggrieved party here is not from middle-class or influential families. They are parents and relatives of children from slums and shanties in the backyards of the Indian capital. There may not be as many 'Justice For' marches for them, as happened in the cases of Jessica Lal and Priyanka Matoo. For them, it is proving to be a different kind of justice system.</p>

The Nithari murders case collapses after nearly two decades as courts acquitted key accused Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher. Families of missing children are left without answers and raising questions over a failed investigation. How did we reach here?

Nithari serial killings—the disappearance and alleged murders of over a dozen children in the north Indian city of Noida—was a stomach-churning news story in 2006. Moninder Singh Pandher and his house help Surinder Koli were arrested and charged with shocking crimes ranging from rape and murder to necrophilia and cannibalism. But today, both Pandher and Koli are free men, having been acquitted of all charges after decade-long court battles. The fundamental questions remain: Who killed Nithari kids? How did an 'open and shut' case collapse after nearly 20 years, whose suspects had been given multiple death sentences? Why wasn't the organ trade angle probed enough? The Nithari serial murders: How the story unfolded The Nithari case in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh garnered public attention months after disparate missing person complaints were filed by parents in Sector 31, Noida, about their children—boys and girls aged from five to 19. More than 30 children and young women went missing between 2005 and mid-2006, but complaints were largely ignored because the parents came from poor socioeconomic backgrounds. Also read: Sector 36 review: Vikrant Massey, Deepak Dobriyal's performances draw you into this gruesome tale A drain of terror and a house of horrors Eventually, body parts, skulls and human remains began to be recovered from a drain behind House D-5, owned by businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, and occupied by his domestic help, Surinder Koli. The case, splashed across Indian TV channels and newspaper front pages at the time, became all about the alleged rape, murder, and dismemberment of children and young women. By late 2006, more and more skeletal remains, items of clothing, and personal belongings of the missing children were recovered in police searches. Amid public outrage, Koli was arrested after one missing girl’s phone was traced to him. Then came the alleged confessions: Koli, a poor man from the eastern state of Odisha, allegedly admitted to having committed multiple murders, sexual assaults, dismemberment, and acts of necrophilia. Pandher was arrested shortly after and charged with some of these crimes. Also read: India: Allahabad HC acquits Koli and Pandher in Nithari serial killings case India's top investigative agency took the case but allegations of organ trade not probed enough The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the case in January 2007 amid mounting pressure, discovered more remains and evidence. Charges were filed in 19 of the cases. Koli was convicted in most of them, and Pandher in fewer. The death penalty was handed down by lower courts for both in the murder of 14-year-old Rimpa Haldar. During this period, there were reports and allegations that these murders could not have been the handiwork of one single individual (or two), but possibly an organised crime group involved in organ trafficking. However, this angle was never sufficiently investigated. Several reports suggested that body parts found in the drains and household were removed in ways that indicated professional handling. Both family members and some investigators pointed out that some organs were missing from the recovered human remains. But in the absence of proper forensic evidence and procedural lapses, the organ trade and trafficking angle was not fully explored. Also read: Nithari killings 2006: How reports of cannibalism, rapes and gory murders unfolded The acquittals: As shocking as the murders The court battles that followed saw Pandher being acquitted in most cases, while Koli’s sentences were often upheld, commuted, or eventually overturned. In 2023, the Allahabad High Court fully acquitted both Pandher and Koli. It cited “shoddy” CBI investigations, unreliable confessions, procedural lapses, and failure to probe leads such as organ trade. Pandher was freed in the same year. The Uttar Pradesh government appealed the verdict, as did families of the victims. But in July 2025, India’s Supreme Court upheld the acquittals. After nearly 19 years in custody, Koli was released from prison on November 13. The courts expressed “deep regret” that the actual perpetrators were not identified beyond legal doubt. Also read: Nithari killings: Accused Surendra Koli set free by Supreme Court Nithari unsolved: A horrific case now officially back to square one The Nithari murders now echo the shoddy handling of investigations in other high-profile cases in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) such as the Jessica Lal murder, the Aarushi Talwar–Hemraj case, the Shivani Bhatnagar killing, and the Priyanka Matoo case. It remains to be seen if a fresh investigation will be opened, but for Koli and Pandher, the damage to their lives has been done. It is said that one is innocent until proven guilty, but they were acquitted only after having been pronounced guilty and sentenced to multiple death penalties. They have forever been shamed, with films, web series, documentaries, and TV programmes portraying them as monsters. The documentary, India’s Serial Killers: The Nithari Case, the TV show Savdhaan India's episodes on the murders, and web series like Crime Patrol and the film Sector 36 depicted the killings in some form. If Koli and Pandher are indeed not the perpetrators, it is safe to assume that the real culprits are silently roaming among the residents of the Indian city. A different type of justice for the poor of India If you search online now for Nithari, you might see interviews of the former suspects explaining their side of the story. It adds to the current trend of former criminals, gangsters, and financial crime-accused becoming podcast guests. We live in an America-inspired era where criminals can become celebrities. On the other hand, unlike several other shocking murders in Delhi, the aggrieved party here is not from middle-class or influential families. They are parents and relatives of children from slums and shanties in the backyards of the Indian capital. There may not be as many 'Justice For' marches for them, as happened in the cases of Jessica Lal and Priyanka Matoo. For them, it is proving to be a different kind of justice system.

<p>The Nithari murders case collapses after nearly two decades as courts acquitted key accused Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher. Families of missing children are left without answers and raising questions over a failed investigation. How did we reach here?</p>

Nobody killed the Nithari kids: Suspects free, case fallen, justice eludes kin of India’s top serial murder victims

<p>A CBI court in Ghaziabad has given the death sentence to Moninder Singh Pandher and Surinder Koli.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The two were sentenced to death for the murder of Pinky Sarkar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;There is no scope for their (the accused&rsquo;s) reform or rehabilitation. This case falls under the category of rarest of rare and both deserve death penalty,&rdquo; the Hindustan Times reported the CBI special judge as saying.</p>

<p>The two are charged in a total of 16 different cases.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There were a total of 19 known murders</p>

<p>Of the eight cases against them decided so far, Koli has been sentenced to death in each.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pandher had been convicted in one of the cases but his conviction was later overturned -- he was acquitted -- by the Allahabad high court.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pandher had been on bail since September 2014, but was rearrested after his conviction. &nbsp;</p>

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<p>A special CBI court in Ghaziabad today convicted businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help Surinder Koli in one of the cases of the sensational Nithari killings (WION)</p>
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Surinder Koli was also sentenced to death

A CBI court in Ghaziabad has given the death sentence to Moninder Singh Pandher and Surinder Koli. The two were sentenced to death for the murder of Pinky Sarkar. “There is no scope for their (the accused’s) reform or rehabilitation. This case falls under the category of rarest of rare and both deserve death penalty,” the Hindustan Times reported the CBI special judge as saying. The two are charged in a total of 16 different cases. There were a total of 19 known murders Of the eight cases against them decided so far, Koli has been sentenced to death in each. Pandher had been convicted in one of the cases but his conviction was later overturned -- he was acquitted -- by the Allahabad high court. Pandher had been on bail since September 2014, but was rearrested after his conviction. A special CBI court in Ghaziabad today convicted businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help Surinder Koli in one of the cases of the sensational Nithari killings (WION) ×

Nithari killings: Pandher given death sentence for murder of Pinky Sarkar

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

Nobody killed Nithari children: Suspects free, case collapsed. Where is justice?

Nithari killings: Pandher given death sentence for murder of Pinky Sarkar