Surendra Koli, who was acquitted in the 2006 Nithari serial killings case, was found dead at his tea stall in Haridwar on 18 September 2026. Police discovered his body in the Bhupatwala area, where he had been living and running a small business after his release from prison. No suicide note was recovered at the scene, and his family has been informed. A post-mortem examination is pending to confirm the cause of death.According to Deccan Herald, Koli had worked as a domestic help at the Noida residence of Moninder Singh Pandher, the co-accused in the Nithari case. The case came to national attention in 2006 after skeletal remains were found near Pandher’s bungalow in Noida’s Sector 31, leading to widespread outrage and a major investigation.As reported by The Indian Express, Koli was arrested in December 2006 and spent nearly 19 years in jail. He was initially convicted and sentenced to death in several cases related to the disappearance and murder of women and children in Nithari village. The Supreme Court acquitted him in the final pending case in November 2025, after the Allahabad High Court had previously acquitted him in 12 cases in October 2023.Coverage revealed that after his acquittal, Koli relocated to Haridwar and started a tea stall. The Nithari killings investigation had been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2007, following the discovery of 19 skeletons and allegations of severe police inaction in the initial stages.Nithari Murders: Allahabad High Court Acquits Surinder Koli, Moninder PandherNithari Killings: Truth May Forever Elude Us Thanks to a Deeply Botched ProbeIn the years following his arrest, Koli’s convictions were repeatedly challenged in higher courts. Legal analysis indicated that the prosecution’s case against him collapsed due to unreliable confessions and inadmissible evidence. The Allahabad High Court found that Koli’s confession was not voluntary and that the recovery of remains could not be solely attributed to him, as the site was not under his exclusive control.“The court held that two irreconcilable outcomes on identical evidence could not lawfully coexist, as this would undermine public confidence in the justice system,” the Supreme Court stated in its final acquittal of Koli.Further details emerged that Koli was 30 years old at the time of his arrest and had received multiple death sentences before his acquittals. Moninder Singh Pandher, his employer and co-accused, was also acquitted and released in October 2023.Police confirmed following reports that Koli was found hanging at his tea stall opposite Lal Mata temple in Haridwar. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are awaiting the autopsy results to determine the precise circumstances of his death.Additional information confirmed that Koli’s acquittal was the result of a curative petition to the Supreme Court, which found structural flaws in the prosecution’s evidence across all Nithari cases. The court’s decision led to his release after nearly two decades in custody.“He had spent nearly 19 years in jail,” a summary of the case noted, underscoring the lengthy legal process and its eventual outcome.Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar Acquitted In 1984 anti-Sikh Riots CaseNote: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.