Nithari killer Surinder Koli acquitted; last case ends with Supreme Court ruling
Nithari killer Surinder Koli acquitted; last case ends with Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court acquits Surinder Koli in the final Nithari case, ending years of courtroom battles. Learn when he walked free, the judges' notes, and what the ruling means for the victims' families.
Surinder Koli, a central figure in the 2006 Nithari serial killings and the last pending case against him, walked out of Luksar district jail in Greater Noida around 7.20 p.m. on Wednesday, 13 November 2025, following the Supreme Court's acquittal. Jail superintendent Brijesh Kumar confirmed the timing and said Koli left the facility accompanied by his lawyers. His family members were not present at the jail gate, and Koli declined to speak to the media.
The Nithari case came to light in 2006 when skeletal remains, skulls, and bones were discovered from the backyard and drains near a bungalow (D-5) belonging to businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Sector 31, Noida. Pandher, a co-accused, was in jail for years but was released on October 20, 2023 following his acquittal in the case.
On Tuesday, November 11, 2025, a Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath acquitted Surinder Koli in the last pending case related to the alleged rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl. The court said "criminal law does not permit conviction on conjecture or on a hunch" and directed his immediate release if he was not wanted in any other matter. While acknowledging the heinous nature of the offences and the immeasurable suffering of the victims' families, the Bench noted the prosecution had failed to establish grounds. Officials said it was not immediately known where he was taken after his release.
