New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- Surendra Koli, who was acquitted by the Supreme Court in the last remaining case linked to the Nithari killings, was found hanging inside a tea stall in Haridwar on Friday, police said. Koli had reportedly been working as a tea vendor in Haridwar for the past few days. His body was found hanging from a rope inside the stall located opposite Lalmata Temple on Sapt Sarovar Road. Police reached the spot after receiving information about the incident.
City Kotwali Station House Officer Kundan Singh Rana said Koli was identified as a resident of Mangrukhal village in Bhikiasain, Almora. The circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated. Koli was a key accused in the Nithari killings, a series of cases involving the disappearance and deaths of children and young women in and around Nithari in Noida during 2005-06. He was employed as a domestic worker at a house in Sector 31, Noida, where several of the cases were investigated. Koli faced multiple cases and was convicted in several of them over the years. However, the Allahabad High Court acquitted him in multiple cases in 2023, citing serious shortcomings in the prosecution's evidence and investigation.
In November 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted Koli in the final case pending against him. The court allowed his curative petition and set aside his conviction, ordering his release unless he was required in any other case. The Supreme Court's decision brought an end to Koli's legal proceedings in the last remaining Nithari case. The court's ruling followed the acquittals in the other cases connected with the killings. Koli had spent years in custody during the proceedings and had earlier faced death sentences in several cases. His sentences were subsequently subject to various legal challenges and proceedings before the higher courts. After his release, Koli had reportedly moved to Haridwar, where he had recently started working at the tea stall. Police have begun investigating the circumstances of his death. Further details are expected after the inquiry and other formal procedures are completed.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.