Body of Surendra Koli, Acquitted in Nithari Case, Found Hanging in Haridwar Tea Shop

Haridwar, September 18 (Daily Kiran) : Authorities discovered the body of Surendra Koli, who was acquitted in the infamous Nithari murder case, hanging in his tea shop in Haridwar on September 18, 2026. The grim scene was located near the Lal Mata Temple on Sapta Sarovar Road in the Bhupatwala area.

Koli had been operating the tea shop for several days. His body was found suspended by a rope, prompting an immediate response from the local police. Officers from the Sapta Rishi police station arrived to secure the scene and initiate an investigation. According to police reports, Koli hailed from the village of Mangerukhal in the Almora district. Authorities have notified his family and are exploring all aspects of the incident.

On November 11, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment in the Nithari case, ordering Koli’s release. The court stated that all charges against him were dismissed, and his sentences were annulled. A bench led by Justice Vikram Nath overturned a previous ruling from 2011, accepting the appeal and nullifying the Allahabad High Court‘s decision. The court mandated Koli’s immediate release.

The Nithari murder case shocked the nation in 2006 when the remains of 19 children and women were discovered behind the residence of Moninder Singh Pandher in Noida. This heinous crime unsettled both the police and the public. Koli and Pandher were arrested, with allegations that Koli lured victims, assaulted them, and then disposed of their bodies in a nearby drain. The case sparked widespread outrage across the country, leading to a CBI investigation that filed multiple charges against Koli.

Koli faced accusations in 13 cases, while Pandher was named as a co-accused in some. Over time, courts acquitted Koli in 12 cases, but the Supreme Court upheld a life sentence in 2011 for one of the charges. However, in November 2025, the Supreme Court overturned this decision, citing insufficient evidence and significant flaws in the investigation, ultimately ruling in favor of Koli’s acquittal.