Haridwar, 18 September (H.S.): Surendra Koli, who was accused in the 2006 Nithari killings and was later acquitted in the cases against him, was found dead at a tea stall in Haridwar on Friday, police said.

Koli’s body was discovered inside the tea stall on Sapt Sarovar Road, near Lal Mata Temple in the Bhupatwala area. Police teams reached the spot after receiving information about the incident and began an investigation. Officials said no suicide note had been found at the scene. The body was sent for further legal and forensic procedures, including a post-mortem examination.

Police said Koli had been living in Haridwar and had been running the tea stall for the past few days. He was originally from Mangrukhala village in the Bhikiyasen area of Almora district.

The circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated. Preliminary police findings have indicated a possible suicide, but officials said the exact cause would be established after forensic examination and the post-mortem report.

Koli was one of the principal accused in the Nithari case, which came to light in December 2006 after human remains were recovered from drains and an area near a bungalow in Sector 31 of Noida. The property belonged to businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, for whom Koli had worked as a domestic helper.

The case involved the disappearance and deaths of several children and a young woman and led to a prolonged criminal investigation and a series of trials.

Koli was convicted in multiple cases and had spent years in prison. However, the legal proceedings later took a different course. The Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli and Pandher in several cases in 2023, citing shortcomings in the prosecution evidence. The Supreme Court subsequently upheld those acquittals in 2025.

In November 2025, the Supreme Court also set aside Koli’s conviction in the last remaining Nithari case, allowing his curative petition and ordering his release if he was not required in any other matter. With that ruling, all criminal cases against him relating to the Nithari killings had effectively ended.

Police are now examining the circumstances leading to Koli’s death and are expected to gather information about his recent activities and movements. Further details are expected after the forensic and post-mortem examinations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar