Nithari Killings Accused Surendra Koli Found Dead in Haridwar Tea Stall

Surendra Koli, acquitted last year in the infamous 2006 Nithari serial killings, died by suicide on Friday morning in Haridwar after hanging himself inside a small tea stall he ran in Uttarakhand’s holy city.

Police recovered Koli's body opposite the Lalmata Temple on Sapt Sarovar Road in the Bhupatwala area of north Haridwar. Officers from the local Saptarishi outpost secured the scene, sent the body for post-mortem analysis, and contacted his relatives in Almora district.

Body Found Hanging in North Haridwar

Investigators revealed that Koli had quieted down in Haridwar recently, opening a modest roadside stall to earn a livelihood after his high-profile release from prison. Passersby spotted his body hanging from a rope inside the stall early Friday and immediately alerted local authorities.

Police identified the deceased as a native of Mangrukhal village in Almora's Bhikiasain block. Sub-divisional teams have launched a routine probe to confirm the sequence of events leading up to the suicide.

A Legal Saga Ended in Supreme Court Acquittal

The discovery ends the life of a man central to one of India’s most gruesome criminal investigations. The Nithari case unravelled in late 2006 when police discovered skeletal remains of missing children and young women in a drain behind a bungalow in Noida’s Sector 31, owned by businessman Mohinder Singh Pandher, where Koli worked as domestic help.

Initial police and agency filings accused the pair of serial murder, abduction, rape, and cannibalism across 19 registered cases. While trial courts handed down multiple death sentences to Koli over the years, the legal narrative crumbled under scrutiny. In November 2023, the Supreme Court allowed Koli’s curative petition and acquitted him, citing flawed investigation standards, lack of forensic consistency, and coerced confessions.

Police officials stated that further legal formalities will follow once Koli's family members reach Haridwar to claim the body.