Surendra Koli, the central figure in the 2006 Nithari mass killings who was later acquitted in all 13 cases against him, was found dead on Friday, September 18, 2026, at his rented tea stall on Sapt Sarovar road in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, according to local police.
Surendra Koli, who previously worked as a domestic help for businessman Moninder Singh Pandher at his Noida residence, appeared to have taken his own life, police stated. Sub-Inspector Vikram Bisht of the Haridwar Kotwali police station told PTI that the Saptarishi police outpost received an alert that a man was found dead inside a tea shop. City Circle Officer Shishupal Singh Negi confirmed that Koli had been living in Haridwar for some time, operating the tea stall on rent.
Police Investigation and Haridwar Discovery
Local authorities moved quickly to secure the site following the morning discovery. Shishupal Singh Negi told PTI videos that police had received information that morning that a person had been found dead, adding that a forensic team was dispatched immediately. According to Negi, the body is currently in police custody while panchanama and post-mortem proceedings are carried out.
Police identified the deceased as a resident of Mangrukhal in Almora. Koli had settled in Haridwar following his release from judicial custody, running a modest tea shop on Sapt Sarovar road to sustain himself.
The 2006 Nithari Disappearances and Mass Killings
The Nithari case first broke in 2006, creating nationwide shockwaves after skeletal remains, skulls, and bones were unearthed from the backyard and drains surrounding Pandher’s Sector 31 bungalow in Noida. The grim discoveries exposed the systematic disappearance and killings of multiple children and women, terrifying the local community and drawing intense public scrutiny.
Co-accused Moninder Singh Pandher spent years in jail before being released on October 20, 2023, following his own acquittal in the case.
