Surendra Koli, who was acquitted by the courts in connection with the notorious 2006 Nithari serial killings in Noida, allegedly died by suicide in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on Friday. Koli was found hanging outside a tea stall he operated in the Bhupatwala locality of the holy city.

Police arrived at the scene shortly after receiving information from the Sapt Rishi police post under the Haridwar City Kotwali station. Authorities have taken custody of the body and launched a probe into the circumstances surrounding his death, with preliminary police investigations pointing towards domestic disputes as a potential motive.

Discovery At Haridwar Tea Stall

The incident was reported on Friday morning when local police were alerted that a man had been found hanging opposite the Lalmata Temple on Sapt Sarovar Road. Responding officers subsequently identified the deceased as Surendra Koli, a native of Mangrukhal village in the Bhikiyasain block of Almora district, Uttarakhand.

According to police officials, Koli had been residing in the Bhupatwala area of Haridwar for the past few months following his release from prison. He had recently started operating a small tea shop in front of the temple, where his body was discovered. Investigators stated that initial inquiries suggest personal or family discord may have led to the act, though a detailed investigation remains underway.

Judicial Acquittal And Legal Background

Koli was the central accused in the 2006 Nithari killings in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, which came to light on December 29, 2006, after skeletal remains of multiple children and young women were recovered from drains behind a bungalow owned by businessman Moninder Singh Pandher. Koli worked as a domestic help at Pandher’s residence at the time of the discovery.

Investigative agencies had registered 19 cases against Pandher and Koli following the discovery. A trial court subsequently convicted Koli and handed down death sentences in 13 cases, citing the horrific nature of the serial murders.

However, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli in 12 cases and Pandher in two cases, citing a lack of concrete evidence and severe lapses in the investigation conducted by law enforcement agencies. The High Court’s decision was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court, leading to Koli’s release from jail in late 2025 after spending nearly two decades in custody.

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