Surendra Koli spent 19 yrs in jail, escaped gallows by hours. Now, he hanged himself

Surendra Koli spent nineteen years behind bars before facing his ultimate demise. On November 13, 2025, the Supreme Court granted him acquittal, ending the 13 cases against him. Just a year earlier, Koli had survived the gallows by mere hours, defying all death sentences thrown at him. Accused of being a "cannibal" who lured children to murder and consumed their flesh, the allegations could never be substantiated.

His defense team, headed by Yug Chaudhry and his associates, fought tooth and nail against overwhelming odds. Koli, a Dalit man from Almora district, had been working for businessman Moninder Singh Pandher since 2004. The gruesome Nithari killings case against him collapsed, leaving him free after a grueling legal battle.