States » NorthPosted at: Sep 18 2026 6:06PM


Co-accused of 2006 Nithari killings case found dead at his tea shop in Haridwar

Prithviraj Singh
Haridwar, Sep 18 (UNI) Surender Koli, a co-accused in the Nithari mass killings case, was found dead inside a tea stall in Haridwar on Friday morning. Koli, a native of Kumaon, had rented the tea stall a couple of days ago.
Barely three days prior to renting out a tea stall close to Harki Pairi in the Bhupatwala area near Bharat Mata Temple, Surender Koli was found dead inside the same shop.
The matter was immediately reported to the police, following which his body was taken into possession and sent for post-mortem.
During the police investigation, the deceased was identified as Surender Koli, a native of Mangrukhal village in Bhikiyasain tehsil of Almora district in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Koli was a co-accused in the high-profile Nithari killings case of 2006, along with the main accused, Mohinder Pandher. However, he was acquitted by the Allahabad High Court in 2023.
The accused were booked in 19 cases by the CBI on charges including rape, murder, abduction, and destruction of evidence after a large number of skulls, human skeletal remains, and bones of children and women were recovered from a drain behind their bungalow in Noida in December 2006.
Initially, Koli was sentenced to death by the trial court, but he was later acquitted in 2023. Following his acquittal, Koli was released from jail in November 2025. According to local police, Koli moved to Haridwar after his acquittal. He also spent some time in Dehradun, where he maintained a low profile, before finally moving to Haridwar.
Police said Koli had started running a tea cart at Roshanabad in Haridwar. However, around three days ago, he rented a kiosk to set up a tea stall in front of the Bharat Mata Temple in the main market area of Bhupatwala.
Some locals spotted a person in a suspicious condition inside the stall in the morning and informed the police. Following the information, a team of local police led by the in-charge of the Saptarishi police post reached the spot.
Haridwar Kotwali police station in-charge Kundan Singh Rana said the person was found dead inside the kiosk and was identified as Surender Koli after the stall owner was questioned. Rana said the stall owner helped the police ascertain the deceased's name, address, and family details.
“Koli was found dead at his shop when police reached the spot. Police subsequently contacted his family. His connection to the Nithari killings was discovered after a quick verification of the deceased’s identity. His body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and the matter is under investigation,” Rana said.
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Co-accused of 2006 Nithari killings case found dead at his tea shop in Haridwar

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Prithviraj Singh
Haridwar, Sep 18 (UNI) Surender Koli, a co-accused in the Nithari mass killings case, was found dead inside a tea stall in Haridwar on Friday morning. Koli, a native of Kumaon, had rented the tea stall a couple of days ago.

see more..