# Surendra Koli, acquitted in Nithari case, found dead in Haridwar

2026-09-18T08:58:30+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 6 independent outlets

Surendra Koli, acquitted by the Supreme Court in November 2025 in the last Nithari serial killings case, was found dead inside a tea stall in Haridwar on Friday, police said. His body was found hanging from a rope opposite Lalmata Temple on Sapt Sarovar Road. Koli, 50, had been living in Haridwar for months and rented the stall days ago, working as a security guard before that. Police said no suicide note was recovered. Uttarakhand Police officer Kundan Singh Rana said Koli's family in Almora has been informed and an investigation is underway. The Times of India reported that prima facie, family disputes are suspected. Koli was acquitted in all 13 cases after the Supreme Court ruled the confession and evidence were unreliable. The investigation into his death continues.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The coverage is uniform straight reporting, with every outlet leading on the factual sequence: acquittal in November 2025, then death by hanging in Haridwar. No source interrogates the police account or tests the family-dispute motive reported by Times of India against the silence on a note or explanation from Hindustan Times and ABP Live. The consensus framing leaves unexplored the question of whether Koli's acquittal or his abrupt change of life, from security guard to tea seller, was a factor. The Nithari case itself remains legally closed but evidentially contested: the Supreme Court deemed the investigation and confession unreliable, while public memory still holds Koli as the accused. The autopsy report, when released, will be the first concrete test of the police version.

## Coverage

- hindustantimes.com (neutral report) <https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nithari-accused-surendra-koli-found-hanging-at-tea-stall-in-haridwar-101789718799494.html>
  Leads with suspicious circumstances, acquittal context, and investigation
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/surendra-koli-acquitted-in-2006-nithari-serial-killings-case-dies-by-suicide/articleshow/134329867.cms>
  Leads with suicide claim and family-dispute motive, no acquittal detail
- livemint.com (neutral report) <https://www.livemint.com/news/india/surinder-koli-acquitted-in-nithari-serial-killing-case-dies-by-suicide-say-police-11789719808466.html>
  Reuters-style factual recitation of death and case background
- news.abplive.com (neutral report) <https://news.abplive.com/news/india/surendra-koli-suicide-acquitted-in-2006-nithari-killings-cases-dies-by-suicide-1867254>
  Body found hanging, police probe undisclosed motive
- indiatvnews.com (neutral report) <https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/surendra-koli-accused-in-2006-nithari-serial-killings-dies-by-suicide-in-haridwar-2026-09-18-1054607>
  Two-sentence wire copy with suicide claim and acquittal reference dimmed
- indiatoday.in (neutral report) <https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/2006-nithari-killings-accused-surendra-koli-dies-by-suicide-2997559-2026-09-18?utm_source=rss>
  Case history foregrounded over death details

Tags: CBI, Haridwar, Nithari killings, Supreme Court, Surendra Koli
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