Surinder Koli Found Dead in Haridwar, Months After Final Nithari Acquittal
Less than a year after the Supreme Court cleared him in his last Nithari case, Surinder Koli has been found dead in Haridwar. Police reported the death on Friday, September 18, 2026. He had been staying in the city and working at a tea stall following his release from prison.
Police said their initial assessment pointed to suicide. No suicide note was recovered, and a forensic team examined the scene. His body was sent for a post-mortem examination, with findings awaited to establish the circumstances of his death.
Koli’s release in November 2025 followed almost two decades behind bars. He had worked as a domestic helper for businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Noida, where the Nithari investigation began.
The case drew national attention in December 2006 when human remains were discovered near Pandher’s house. The discovery followed reports of missing children and women from the neighbourhood. Both men were arrested, and the Central Bureau of Investigation later took over the inquiry.
Although trial courts convicted Koli in multiple cases, those verdicts were overturned on appeal. In October 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted him in 12 cases after finding serious problems with the investigation and the evidence presented against him.
One conviction remained. In November 2025, the Supreme Court set it aside, finding that it relied on substantially the same evidence already rejected in the other proceedings. The ruling cleared the way for his release.
Police have informed Koli’s family of his death. The investigation remains underway.
