Surendra Koli, the man who was acquitted in the notorious Nithari serial killings case, has been found dead in Haridwar, a city in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand known for its spiritual significance and location on the banks of the River Ganges.
Koli, who worked as a servant in the household of Surinder Kumar — the primary accused in the Nithari case — was long linked to the crimes that shocked the nation. However, in 2014, the Delhi High Court acquitted him of all charges, citing insufficient evidence to establish his direct involvement in the murders of several children between 2005 and 2006. The court noted that while the circumstances were suspicious, the prosecution could not conclusively prove Koli's guilt beyond reasonable doubt. He had spent nearly a decade in judicial custody before his release.
Koli's body was discovered near the ghats of Haridwar. Local police have confirmed the discovery and stated that a preliminary investigation is underway. According to officials, there are no obvious signs of foul play on the body, and authorities are treating the death as possibly natural. A post-mortem examination has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
The Nithari case, which came to light in December 2005, saw the disappearance and subsequent discovery of bodies of multiple children in the basement of Surinder Kumar's house in the Nithari area of North Delhi. Surinder Kumar, along with his wife Moninder Singh Pandor, was convicted and sentenced to death in 2013. Kumar was executed in March 2018 at Tihar Jail. Koli's acquittal had drawn significant public criticism at the time, with many questioning why he was let go despite being present at the scene during parts of the investigation.
News of his death in Haridwar has triggered fresh discussions about the Nithari case and the legal proceedings that followed. Authorities have not yet released detailed information about how Koli ended up in Haridwar or whether he was living in hiding or under an assumed identity since his release.
