Surendra Koli, Acquitted In Nithari Serial Killings Case In 2025, Dies By Suicide At Haridwar Tea Stall

Police said the death appeared prima facie to be a suicide. No suicide note was found, and the post-mortem report was awaited. The circumstances surrounding his death were being investigated.

Koli had spent nearly two decades in custody, including years on death row, after being convicted in several cases arising from the disappearance, rape and killings of children and young women in and around Nithari village in Noida.

His prolonged legal battle ultimately ended with his acquittal in all the Nithari cases. The Allahabad High Court had acquitted him in 12 cases in October 2023, while the Supreme Court subsequently upheld those acquittals and later acquitted him in the final remaining case in 2025.

Who was Surendra Koli?

Koli was a native of Mangrukhal village in Uttarakhand's Almora district. He came to the Delhi-NCR region in search of work after dropping out of school due to financial difficulties.

In 2004, when he was around 20 years old, Koli began working as a domestic worker at the Noida residence of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Sector 31.

Koli later became the principal accused in the Nithari killings investigation.

How did the Nithari killings case come to light?

In 2006, several children and young women from poor labourer families living in and around Nithari village went missing.

The investigation intensified after complaints over multiple disappearances, including those of young girls. The police probe eventually led to the recovery of human remains, including skulls and bones, from a drain near Pandher's bungalow in Sector 31.

Koli and Pandher were subsequently arrested in connection with the cases.

Koli's alleged confession became an important part of the prosecution case. However, the reliability of that confession was later questioned during the judicial proceedings. The courts also examined the circumstances surrounding the recovery of human remains and other evidence relied upon by the prosecution.

Death sentences and years in prison

Koli faced multiple trials for offences including murder, rape and destruction of evidence and was sentenced to death in several cases. In February 2011, the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in the case relating to Rimpa Haldar.

His mercy petition was subsequently rejected, following which a death warrant was issued in 2014. His execution, however, was stayed.

In January 2015, the Allahabad High Court commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment, citing the inordinate delay in deciding his mercy petition.

Koli continued to remain in custody while the various Nithari cases proceeded through the courts.

How was Surendra Koli acquitted in the Nithari cases?

The Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli in 12 Nithari cases in October 2023. The court's findings included concerns relating to the reliability of evidence, procedural lapses and shortcomings in the investigation.

The prosecution's case also faced scrutiny over Koli's 2007 confession. The courts considered the circumstances in which the confession had been recorded, including his prolonged police custody and the absence of access to a lawyer. Allegations concerning tutoring and torture were also raised.

The recovery of human remains and belongings was similarly examined. Questions arose over whether the location was under Koli's exclusive control and the circumstances in which digging at the site had commenced.

The acquittals were challenged before the Supreme Court by the CBI, the Uttar Pradesh government and families of victims.

The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the acquittals and, in the final remaining case, acquitted Koli as well. The Court held that he could not remain convicted in one case when the same evidence had already been rejected in the other Nithari cases. Koli was released from custody in November 2025.

Koli's final days in Haridwar

After his release, Koli spent his final weeks in Haridwar under the name “Sada Ram”.

According to police sources, he had arrived in Haridwar around a month and a half before his death and had worked briefly as a security guard. He subsequently changed jobs before moving into a small tea stall in Bhupatwala, opposite Lal Mata Temple.

The stall had reportedly been rented in the name of an acquaintance, Dharmender Kaushik. Koli had been living inside the stall and had been selling tea and biscuits there for only two or three days before his death.

Around 25 days before his death, Koli had met Jai Kashyap, who helped him look for accommodation. Koli introduced himself as Sada Ram and said he was from Almora and looking for a room and work.

Kashyap later learnt that the man he had helped was actually Surendra Kumar Koli, who had been acquitted by the Supreme Court in the Nithari cases.

Police probe into death underway

According to reports, Koli was found hanging inside the tea stall on September 18. Police said the shop was shut when he was found and that there was no response after the shutter was knocked.

Circle Officer, Haridwar City, Shishupal Singh Negi, said the death appeared prima facie to be a suicide. No suicide note was recovered from the spot.

The final cause and circumstances of death will depend on the post-mortem examination and the ongoing investigation.

Koli's recent use of an assumed name, his changes in employment and the fact that he had only recently started operating the tea stall were among the circumstances being examined by investigators.