Surendra Koli showed no signs of distress before release: Jail superintendent

Surendra Koli, the main accused in the Nithari killings, behaved normally during his 14-month stay at Luksar Jail before his release last year after being acquitted in all 13 cases, the jail superintendent said on Saturday.

Koli, who was found hanging at a tea stall in Haridwar on Friday, was released from Luksar Jail on November 11, 2025, following a Supreme Court order. His death has now raised questions from the family of one of the victims, who have alleged that he was killed and have sought an investigation.

Luksar Jail Superintendent Brajesh Singh told PTI that Koli stayed at the Greater Noida jail from September 2024 to November 11, 2025. "His behaviour was normal while he was in the jail. We did not find anything wrong in his behaviour," Singh said.

Before being shifted to Luksar, Koli had spent most of his prison term in Dasna jail in adjoining Ghaziabad. He was also briefly taken to a jail in Meerut before being brought back to Dasna and later shifted to Luksar.

Koli was at the centre of the Nithari killings, which came to light in 2006 after skeletal remains, skulls and bones of children and women were found near the bungalow of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Sector 31, Noida. Koli worked as a domestic help at Pandher's residence.

The circumstances surrounding Koli's death have led to questions from the family of one of the victims. Jhabbu Lal, whose 15-year-old daughter was among the victims, said he did not believe Koli had died by suicide.

"Koli has been killed, he has not committed suicide. Had he committed suicide in jail, it could be understood that he was depressed. But after being released from jail and spending months outside, he commits suicide. This raises questions," Lal said.

"He was probably about to disclose some important information and that is why he was killed," he alleged.

Lal also said that, in his view, Pandher and not Koli was the main culprit in the Nithari killings. "He should be hanged," he said, while appealing to the government for help in continuing the family's legal fight.

Lal's wife, Sunita Devi, also called for a probe into Koli's death. "Surendra Koli was killed. He was running a tea shop and would have been earning money. He must have been murdered and it should be investigated," she said.

The couple have spent nearly 20 years seeking justice for their daughter. They had moved to Nithari from Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district around four decades ago in search of work.

Koli was arrested in 2006 after the skeletal remains were found in and around Pandher's bungalow. He was later convicted in several cases, but was acquitted in all 13 Nithari-related cases, with the Supreme Court allowing his petition in the final pending case in November 2025.

He walked out of Luksar Jail on November 11, 2025, accompanied by his lawyers. He did not speak to waiting journalists at the time, and his destination was not disclosed.

The jail authorities have said Koli showed no abnormal behaviour during his stay at Luksar, while the family of one of the victims has questioned the circumstances of his death and demanded an investigation.