Nithari Case Accused Surendra Koli Died of Asphyxia by Hanging, Post-Mortem Finds

Surendra Koli, the central figure in the Nithari killings case, died of "asphyxia (lack of oxygen) caused by hanging", according to post-mortem findings. The cause was recorded as "asphyxia due to ante-mortem hanging", indicating the hanging occurred while he was alive.

Koli was found hanging at a tea stall he had recently started in Haridwar last week. He had been acquitted in all 13 cases linked to the Nithari killings, the last of which was decided by the Supreme Court in 2025.

At the time of his death, police said no injury marks were found on his body, though traces of blood were visible near his nose and mouth. Investigators said the circumstances pointed prima facie to suicide by hanging.

According to police, Koli had begun selling tea at a small rented shop in Haridwar's Saptarishi area just four days before he was found dead. He was reportedly under financial strain and mental stress, and had borrowed Rs 5,000 to set up the stall.

Police said Koli lived in difficult conditions and had changed rooms four times within a short span in Haridwar. He was living under a concealed identity and had repeatedly quit jobs because he could not provide an Aadhaar card or undergo police verification.

Some of Koli's family members had earlier raised questions about the circumstances of his death.

The Nithari case surfaced in 2006, when skeletal remains, skulls and bones were recovered from the backyard and drains near a bungalow belonging to businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Sector 31, Noida. Koli worked as a domestic help at Pandher's house. The discoveries, which brought to light the disappearance and killing of several children and women, triggered nationwide outrage and alarmed the local community.

Pandher, a co-accused, spent years in jail before being released on October 20, 2023, following his acquittal. Koli was the only person convicted in the case before his acquittals.