Surendra Koli, the man at the centre of the sensational Nithari killings who was subsequently acquitted in all 13 cases, was found dead in his tea stall in Haridwar, Uttarakhand on Friday (September 18, 2026), police said.
The deceased was identified as Koli, a resident of Mangrukhal in Almora.
Koli, who worked as a domestic help at the Noida house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, appears to have ended his life, police said. Sub-Inspector at the Haridwar Kotwali police station Vikram Bisht told PTI that the Saptarishi police outpost received information that a man had been found dead in a tea shop on Sapt Sarovar road.
“Police received information this morning that a person had been found dead. Our forensic team reached the spot. At present, it appears to be a case of suicide. The gruesome findings, unearthing the disappearance and killings of several children and women, had triggered nationwide outrage and terrorised the local community.
The body is in police custody, and the panchanama and post-mortem proceedings are underway,” he said. “It is a matter of deep regret that despite prolonged investigation, the identity of the actual perpetrator has not been established in a manner that meets the legal standards,” the bench had said.
