The Supreme Court on Tuesday acquitted Surendra Koli in one of the murder and rape cases linked to the Nithari killings that took place between 2005 and 2006 in Noida. The court allowed a curative petition filed by Koli, challenging his conviction and sentence in the case.
Koli’s conviction for the murder of a 15-year-old girl had earlier been upheld by the Supreme Court in February 2011. However, after being acquitted in 12 other cases by the Allahabad High Court, he again approached the top court this year seeking relief in the remaining case.
#WATCH | Delhi: Supreme Court acquits Surendra Koli, who was convicted in the 2006 Nithari serial killings case, and sets aside his conviction. Supreme Court orders his immediate release if not wanted in any other case.
Advocate Yug Mohit Chaudhry says, “In this case, Surendra… pic.twitter.com/U0QmHVDOBF
— ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2025
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, and Justice Vikram Nath delivered the verdict, acquitting Koli and overturning his previous conviction.
“The petitioner is acquitted of the charges. The petitioner shall be released forthwith,” Justice Nath said while pronouncing the judgment.
During the earlier hearing on Koli’s curative petition on October 7, the court expressed concern that the conviction appeared to be based solely on a confession and the recovery of a kitchen knife. The court had also noted that the situation was “anomalous,” given that Koli had already been acquitted in all other related cases.
The Nithari murders, among the most horrifying crimes in India’s recent history, came to light in December 2006, when several human skeletons were found dumped in a drain near a house in Nithari village, Noida. The house was owned by Moninder Singh Pandher, while Koli was employed there as his domestic servant.
Following the gruesome discovery, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case and filed multiple charge sheets. Koli was named the primary accused in several cases involving charges of murder, abduction, rape, and destruction of evidence, while Pandher was charged separately in a case linked to immoral trafficking.
Case Background
Over the years, Koli was convicted in multiple cases for the rape and murder of several young girls and sentenced to death in more than ten of them.
In 2009, the Allahabad High Court upheld Koli’s conviction in the case involving the 15-year-old victim but acquitted Pandher due to insufficient evidence. When Koli appealed the verdict, the Supreme Court dismissed his plea in 2011, followed by a review petition that was also rejected in 2014.
Previously in 2015, the Allahabad High Court commuted Koli’s death sentence to life imprisonment, citing excessive delay in deciding on his mercy petition.
However, in October 2023, the same High Court overturned the trial court’s death sentences for both Koli and Pandher, acquitting them in several cases. Specifically, Koli was cleared in 12 cases, while Pandher was acquitted in two.
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