Nithari case accused Surendra Koli cremated in Haridwar, police begin probe into his activities

Surendra Koli, the prime accused in the 2006 Nithari serial killings, was cremated in Haridwar on Saturday in the presence of his family members, police said.

Police said Koli's body was handed over to his family after the post-mortem examination. His last rites were subsequently performed at the Kharkhari cremation ground.

Koli's brother Harish Koli, his 20-year-old son Shivam and former zila panchayat member Narayan Singh Rawat were among those present at the cremation. Koli was found hanging at his tea stall in Haridwar on Friday.

Police suspect that Koli may have died by suicide but said they are awaiting the post-mortem report to establish the cause of death.

After the cremation, Rawat called for an impartial investigation and said it should be established whether Koli died by suicide or was murdered.

Haridwar Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shishupal Singh Negi told PTI that police have also begun examining Koli's activities since he moved to Haridwar.

According to police, Koli had been living in Haridwar under a false identity for the last four to five months. During this period, he worked as a security guard at two or three places but frequently changed jobs because he feared his real identity would be discovered when employers asked for identification documents.

Negi said police were questioning the people who had employed Koli as well as those who helped him rent the tea stall.

Police said Koli had rented the stall from a man named Anil Sharma four days before his death, using the name 'Sadaram'. His actual identity was established only after his death, when police found his Aadhaar card and voter ID during a search.

Police have also rejected reports that Koli and Sharma had a dispute over the tea stall.

Dharmendra Kaushik, a local resident who helped Koli secure the shop, said the 50-year-old had spoken to his family over the phone a day before his death.

Kaushik said Koli appeared to be under stress over his son's birthday and had also argued with family members during the call.

The Nithari case came to national prominence in 2006 after skeletal remains, skulls and bones were found in the backyard and drainage area near a bungalow owned by businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Sector 31 of Uttar Pradesh's Noida.

Koli had worked as a domestic help at Pandher's Noida residence.

Koli was the only convict in the case and was acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2025 in the final Nithari case against him. This marked his 13th acquittal in the series of cases.  (with inputs from PTI)