Surendra Koli, acquitted by India’s Supreme Court in the remaining case related to the 2006 Nithari serial killings, dies by suicide in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Multiple outlets report that police found him hanging inside a tea stall/tea kiosk in the Bhupatwala area on September 18, 2026. Police take his body into custody and begin examining the circumstances, with early reports citing a possible family-related issue but no confirmed cause.
The death follows a lengthy legal process in which Koli, then the domestic help working for businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, had faced multiple prosecutions tied to the killings. The Nithari case came to light in December 2006 after human remains were recovered near Pandher’s property in Noida. Over years of appeals, Koli is acquitted in 12 cases by the Allahabad High Court in October 2023, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court. In November 2025, the Supreme Court sets aside his final conviction and orders his release if he is not wanted in any other case.
Outlets also note attention shifting to Pandher after Koli’s death. One report says an autopsy indicates death by asphyxia, while others focus on ongoing police investigation into whether any other factors were involved. No suicide note is reported to have been found so far.
