Supreme Court Acquits Koli in Final Nithari Case

The Supreme Court of India acquitted Surendra Koli on November 11, 2025, in the final remaining case linked to the 2006 Nithari serial killings, ordering his release if he faces no other charges. The decision, delivered by a bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai alongside Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, cleared Koli of charges related to the assault and murder of a 15-year-old girl, marking the end of his convictions in all 13 cases tied to the gruesome crimes that claimed the lives of at least 19 children and young women in Noida's Nithari village.

The killings, which occurred between 2005 and 2006, involved the abduction, rape, murder, and dismemberment of victims mostly from poor families in the area. The case surfaced on December 29, 2006, when skeletal remains, including 16 skulls and bags of bones, were discovered in a drain behind the home of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Noida Sector 31, adjacent to Nithari village. Koli, who worked as Pandher's domestic help, was accused of luring the victims with promises of food or work before committing the acts inside the house. Pandher faced charges in six cases, including allegations of complicity in the murders and...