Nithari killings accused Surendra Koli died by hanging, post-mortem confirms: Police

Surendra Koli, an accused in the Nithari killings who was acquitted in all 13 cases against him, died by hanging, according to his post-mortem report, police said on Wednesday.

Haridwar City Circle Officer Shishupal Singh Negi said the report confirmed that Koli died by suicide on September 18 after hanging himself from the ceiling fan at his tea stall in the Saptarishi area of Haridwar.

According to the report, clear ligature marks were found on Koli's neck, while there were no other injury marks on his body, Negi said.

The officer said the rope appeared to have snapped under Koli's weight, causing him to fall to the ground. The bleeding from his mouth and nose was likely caused after the fall, he said.

Police are investigating whether financial difficulties or personal stress led Koli to take the extreme step, Negi said.

An official involved in the investigation said Koli had borrowed Rs 5,000 to set up the tea stall, which he opened three or four days before his death.

Police have examined CCTV footage from the area but have not found any suspicious activity so far, the officer said. He added that Koli had been living in difficult circumstances and had changed rooms four times within a short period after arriving in Haridwar.

The officer said Koli had been living under a concealed identity and had repeatedly quit jobs because he could not provide an Aadhaar card or undergo police verification.

According to police, Koli arrived in Haridwar about a month ago. Before that, he had stayed with some lawyers and at a church in Bengaluru.

Koli's family members, however, have raised questions over his death and demanded an impartial investigation.

The Nithari case came to light in 2006 after skeletal remains, skulls and bones were found in the backyard and drains near the bungalow of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Sector 31, Noida.

Koli worked as a domestic help at Pandher's house. The discovery of the remains, which pointed to the disappearance and killings of several children and women, triggered nationwide outrage and fear in the local community.

Pandher, who was also an accused in the case, spent years in jail before being released on October 20, 2023, following his acquittal.

The Supreme Court acquitted Koli in 2025 in the last of the 13 Nithari cases. He had earlier been acquitted in the other 12 cases.  (with inputs from PTI)