Surendra Koli, acquitted in Nithari serial killings, dies by suicide in Haridwar

Haridwar: Surendra Koli, an accused in the Nithari case who was later acquitted in several cases, was found dead at his tea stall in Haridwar on Friday. According to national media, he was found hanging by the police around 11 am.

The Nithari case came to light in 2006 after skeletal remains, skulls and bones were recovered from the backyard and drains near the residence of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher (D-5) in Sector 31, Noida. Koli had worked as a domestic help at the bungalow.

The gruesome discoveries, which exposed the disappearance and killings of several children and women, triggered nationwide outrage and terrorised the local community. Koli, who was 30 years old when arrested in 2006, was awarded multiple death sentences in various cases over the years. He was subsequently acquitted in several of the Nithari cases. Pandher, a co-accused in the case, was also in jail for years but was released on October 20, 2023 following his acquittal in the case.