Summary: Surinder Koli, 50, who was acquitted in the final Nithari murder case after the Supreme Court found his confession had been extracted under torture, was found hanged in a tea stall he ran in Haridwar. Authorities recovered his body and have launched an investigation. The 2006 Nithari discoveries — remains of 19 women and children — provoked nationwide outrage and scrutiny of police failures.
Man Acquitted In Notorious Nithari Case Found Hanged in Haridwar Tea Stall
Surinder Koli was acquitted by India's Supreme Court last year in a case related to the gruesome murder of 19 children and women [Hindustan Times via Getty Images]
Surinder Koli, 50, who was acquitted last year in the long-running Nithari murder cases, was found hanged on Friday inside a tea stall he had been running in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, local media report. Authorities recovered his body and have opened an investigation; police have been approached for comment.
The 2006 Nithari discoveries shocked India when remains of 19 women and children were found near a bungalow on the outskirts of Delhi. Koli and his employer, businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, were arrested that year after human remains were discovered near Pandher's home. Police alleged the killings took place at the bungalow where Koli worked as a servant.
India's principal investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), filed 19 cases related to the Nithari probe. Charges against Koli included murder, kidnapping, rape and destroying evidence; Pandher faced separate charges including immoral trafficking.
In 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli in 12 of the cases. Later, the Supreme Court reviewed the remaining case and concluded that Koli's confession — which had contained allegations of cannibalism and necrophilia — was extracted under torture. Following that ruling he was released in 2025 after spending about 19 years behind bars.
The Nithari revelations prompted widespread public outrage and scrutiny over whether police had adequately investigated complaints from families whose children had gone missing. Many victims were from poor, migrant households while the bungalow linked to suspects was in a relatively affluent part of the neighbourhood, a contrast that intensified debate about social inequality and institutional failures.
Investigation Under Way: Local reports, including NDTV, say no suicide note was found at the scene. Officials are investigating the circumstances of Koli’s death and have not yet announced findings.
As the probe continues, the case remains a painful reminder of the original crimes, the long legal battle that followed and continuing questions about police procedures and the treatment of suspects. The BBC and other outlets are seeking official comment.
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