The autopsy of Surendra Koli—who spent nearly two decades in prison before being acquitted in all 13 cases linked to the gruesome 2006 Nithari serial killings—has confirmed that he died by suicide.
The Uttarakhand Police on Wednesday stated that the post-mortem report verified the cause of death as asphyxia due to ante-mortem hanging.
Koli, aged 53, was found dead on September 18 inside a small tea stall in the Saptrishi area of Haridwar. He was found with a noose around his neck, and no suicide note was recovered from the spot.
Addressing the findings, City Police Station In-Charge Kundan Singh Rana confirmed that neither forensic evidence nor CCTV footage pointed toward any third-party involvement or suspicious activity around the crime scene.
Despite police findings, Koli’s brother, Chandan Koli, submitted an official complaint at the Saptrishi police outpost on Sunday, urging authorities to launch a high-level investigation into the death under suspicious circumstances.
Following the autopsy conducted on September 19, Koli’s final rites were performed at the Khadkhadi Cremation Ganga Ghat in Haridwar, attended by his brothers and son.
After his Supreme Court acquittal in the final Nithari murder case due to prosecution and forensic lapses, Koli was released from Kasna Jail on November 12, 2025, relocated to Haridwar under the alias “Sada Ram,” and eventually rented a tea stall to earn a living ahead of the Ardh Kumbh fair.
