Surendra Koli, who was acquitted in all the criminal cases linked to the 2006 Nithari killings, allegedly died by suicide in Haridwar, months after the Supreme Court ended the last pending case against him. Koli was found hanging inside a tea stall on Sapt Sarovar Road, near Lal Mata Temple, in Haridwar on Friday. After his death, focus has now shifted on the whereabouts of Moninder Singh Pandher, Koli's then employer and a businessman.
Pandher and Koli had originally faced convictions in multiple Nithari cases. However, the Allahabad High Court acquitted both in 2023, while the Supreme Court later dealt with Koli's remaining conviction and ordered his release in November 2025.
Where Is Moninder Singh Pandher Now?
Moninder Singh Pandher was released from Luksar Jail in Greater Noida on October 20, 2023, after the Allahabad High Court acquitted him in the Nithari cases for lack of evidence. Following his release, Pandher relocated to Chandigarh and has been living with his family there, reported The Hindu. A later report also said that he had moved back to his family home in Chandigarh and was involved in a fertiliser business in Badaun, which he managed before he was jailed.
Details On Koli's Death
According to initial reports, Koli had been living in Haridwar's SIDCUL area and had started running the tea stall only three days ago. His Aadhaar card was reportedly recovered from the spot and used to establish his identity. Police have taken his body for post-mortem and are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
No suicide note has been recovered so far. Police have also contacted Koli's brother as cops piece together his recent movements and circumstances. Authorities are yet to establish the exact cause and circumstances of his death.
Koli's death comes less than a year after the Supreme Court acquitted him in the final Nithari case pending against him. On November 11, 2025, the apex court allowed his curative petition and set aside his conviction in the case involving the murder of Rimpa Haldar. The court noted that Koli had already been acquitted in 12 companion prosecutions based on the same evidentiary foundation.
The Nithari killings came to light in December 2006 after human remains were recovered from a drain near a house in Sector 31, Noida, owned by businessman Moninder Singh Pandher. Koli, who worked as domestic help at the house, and Pandher were later arrested in connection with multiple cases. Koli's death has now brought fresh attention to the long-running Nithari case, nearly two decades after the killings first came to light.
