Nithari case acquittal Surendra Koli found dead in Haridwar tea stall (2026-09-20)

Surendra Koli, who walked free last November after his acquittal in the Nithari serial murders case, was found dead on Friday morning inside a tea stall he had rented in Haridwar. He was 53.

The stall, located in Bhupatwala opposite Lal Mata Temple in the Sapt Sarovar area, was where Koli had been living for the last few days of his life. Police said he appeared to have died by suicide. His elder brother, Chandan Koli, 54, said the family suspects foul play.

On Saturday, after a post-mortem at Haridwar District Hospital, Koli's last rites were performed at Karkari Ghat on the banks of the Ganga. His son, Shivam, carried out the final rituals.

Koli's release from prison in November last year ended nearly two decades behind bars. In the months that followed, he travelled to Bangalore and Chennai, where, according to Chandan, he was approached by people interested in making a documentary about his life.

By June he had returned to Delhi and was staying with Chandan, his family and Shivam, now 20. "He was looking for a job in Delhi but was constantly saying that he was unable to find one as he was scared that his identity would be revealed and no one would give him a job," Chandan said.

That month, Koli travelled with his family to their ancestral village of Mangru Kal in Almora. The family home had stood vacant since their mother's death in 2022 and had later been demolished. They returned to Delhi on June 18.

In July, Koli went to Roshanabad in Haridwar district. According to police sources, he initially struggled to find accommodation because he could not produce an Aadhaar card needed for police verification. He then took a job as a security guard at a factory. After leaving it, an acquaintance, Dharmender Kaushik, helped him secure another security position at an apartment through a private firm. He left that job as well.

In Roshanabad, Koli also met 28-year-old Jai Kashyap, who helped him find accommodation and work. Koli introduced himself to Kashyap as "Sada Ram" from Almora.

He had been in Haridwar for about a month and a half before his death, according to police and those who knew him. Around three days earlier, he rented a small tea stall in Bhupatwala using Kaushik's identity documents, police sources said. He brought his belongings from Roshanabad and began staying inside the stall, which he ran for only two or three days.

A diary containing what appeared to be his daily expenses and work-related accounts was found inside the shop and collected by police.

Those in contact with Koli said he was short of money in his final days. Narayan Singh Rawat, an Almora resident who had known him for around 15 years, said Koli had been seeking financial help after his release. Rawat met him in Haridwar on September 7 after Koli called him, and also met Kaushik and Kashyap.

"Very recently, before he took up the tea stall, he asked me to send him Rs 15,000. I kept sending him money from time to time, whenever he needed," Rawat said.

A day before Koli's death, Kaushik told Rawat that Koli did not have enough money to buy supplies for the stall. On Thursday night, Kaushik called Rawat around 11.30 pm and again around midnight, saying Koli was upset. Rawat said Koli had apparently tried to reach him but could not because his phone did not have sufficient balance to make calls. Rawat did not answer.

The next morning, Koli was found dead inside the stall. Police and forensic teams examined the shop and collected material from the premises. Chandan said his brother was "acquitted but could not prove his innocence in society".