Man acquitted in gruesome India murder case found dead
A man who spent nearly two decades in prison over one of India’s most notorious murder cases has died, months after he was released, according to media reports. Surinder Koli, 50, was found hanged inside a tea stall he ran in Haridwar in the northern state of Uttarakhand, on Friday, reports say. He was released [...] The post Man acquitted in gruesome India murder case found dead appeared first…
Surinder Koli, a man who spent nearly two decades in prison for one of India's most notorious murder cases, died on Friday after being found hanged at a tea stall he operated in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, according to media reports. Koli was released in 2025 following his acquittal by India's top court in the final case linked to the 2006 killings of 19 women and children in Nithari, a village on the outskirts of Delhi.
The 2006 case garnered widespread national outrage due to alleged police negligence in addressing family complaints about missing children, as well as exposing deep social divides in Indian society. Koli and his employer, businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, were initially arrested in 2006 following the discovery of body parts near Pandher's home.
Police alleged the murders took place at Pandher's residence, where Koli worked as a servant. India's Central Bureau of Investigation filed 19 cases against the two men, accusing Koli of murder, kidnapping, rape, and destroying evidence, while Pandher faced charges of immoral trafficking. In 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli in 12 cases, and Pandher was acquitted in two cases, leading to his release.
In November 2024, the Supreme Court overturned Koli's conviction in the final case, ruling his confession was obtained under torture. Koli had been free for several months before his sudden death at the age of 50.
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