Surendra Koli, the accused in the infamous Nithari killings case, was found dead at a tea stall in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on 18 September 2026, after he apparently died by suicide by hanging. The discovery came as a shock to his employer and colleagues, who had no knowledge of his past connection to one of India's most sensational criminal cases.

How Koli Ended Up at the Tea Stall

A local resident named Dharmender said he had met Koli roughly 15 days before the incident when the latter approached him seeking employment. 'I met him 15 days back when he begged me for a job. He had told me that he knows cooking, so I arranged for him to work at the tea stall at my guarantee,' Dharmender said. He added that he had no idea of Koli's identity or background at the time.

Dharmender said he had only asked Koli for his Aadhaar card the previous day for verification purposes. Koli reportedly told him the document was not with him but he would arrange it. In the interim, Dharmender had provided his own Aadhaar card to the tea stall owner as a personal guarantee for Koli's employment.

How the Body Was Discovered

Dharmender recounted that on the morning of 18 September, he noticed customers waiting outside the tea stall while the shutter remained closed. 'As soon as I attempted to knock, I realised that the shutter was already open. Upon opening it, I saw that he had hanged himself,' he said. He also noted that Koli had reportedly been suffering from depression as well as low blood sugar.

Police Response and Investigation

Shishupal Singh Negi, Circle Officer (Haridwar City), confirmed that Koli's family had been notified and that an investigation was underway. 'Surendra Koli has been frequently in the news as he was an accused in the Nithari case, which is why people recognised him. His family members have been informed and should be arriving soon. An investigation is underway, and any further updates will be shared as facts emerge,' Negi said. He added that whether Koli had been facing difficulties at home would be established only after his family arrived.

Background: The Nithari Killings Case

The 2006 Nithari killings gripped the nation after the disappearance of several minors from the village was linked to the discovery of human remains in a drain outside the home of Moninder Singh Pandher in Noida's Sector-31, a property that came to be known as the 'House of Horrors'. Koli, who worked as a domestic help in the household, was dubbed the 'Butcher of Nithari' by the media amid widely circulated theories of cannibalism.

Notably, in November 2025, the Supreme Court allowed Koli's curative petition and set him free, formally closing a case long criticised for a botched investigation and what critics described as a media trial. His death in Haridwar marks a sombre final chapter to a case that had polarised public opinion for nearly two decades.