Nithari Massacre: Supreme Court Acquits Surendra Koli in Final Case, Orders Immediate Release

New Delhi (Rajesh Chaudhary): In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday acquitted Surendra Koli in the last pending case related to the infamous Nithari serial killings, paving the way for his release after nearly two decades behind bars.

The bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, and Justice Vikram Nath accepted Koli’s curative petition, setting aside all previous convictions and sentences. This marks the final closure of the long-drawn judicial battle surrounding one of India’s most horrifying murder cases.

Supreme Court Quashes All Previous Orders

The apex court struck down its earlier February 15, 2011 verdict, which had upheld Koli’s death sentence, as well as the October 28, 2014 order rejecting his review plea. The Court also nullified the Sessions Court judgment of February 13, 2009, and the Allahabad High Court’s October 11, 2009 decision confirming his punishment.

Justice Vikram Nath, while pronouncing the order, said:

“Since the same set of evidence has been found unreliable in all other cases where Koli was acquitted, it would be inconsistent and unjust to uphold his conviction in this single matter.”

The Court directed that Koli be released immediately, provided he is not wanted in any other case.

The Curative Plea and Legal Argument

In his curative petition, Koli argued that the evidence used to convict him in this case was the very same that courts had rejected as unreliable in other 12 cases where he was acquitted. His counsel submitted that maintaining one conviction based on identical evidence would amount to a grave miscarriage of justice.

The Supreme Court accepted this reasoning, observing that retaining his conviction in one case despite similar acquittals in all others would create a “contradictory and untenable legal position.”

Background: The Nithari Horror

The Nithari killings, which shocked the nation in 2005–2006, came to light when several human remains were discovered in drains near businessman Moninder Singh Pandher’s bungalow in Noida’s Nithari village. The gruesome case involved the disappearance and murder of multiple children and women from nearby slum areas.

Koli, who worked as Pandher’s domestic help, was accused of kidnapping, assault, and murder. Both were sentenced in multiple cases under sections of the IPC, POCSO Act, and other laws.

A Long Legal Battle Comes to an End

In July 2025, the Supreme Court had already upheld the Allahabad High Court’s acquittal of Koli and Pandher in 14 related cases, citing lack of credible evidence and procedural lapses. With today’s verdict, all convictions against Koli have been overturned.

Public and Legal Reactions

The decision has reignited public debate over investigative lapses, judicial delays, and the balance between justice and due process in high-profile criminal cases. Legal experts have termed the verdict a significant reminder of the need for consistent judicial reasoning when evidence overlaps across multiple trials.

Editor’s Note:
The Nithari case remains one of the darkest chapters in India’s criminal history — a grim reminder of systemic failures and the human cost of flawed investigations. With Surendra Koli’s release, the long legal saga finally reaches its end, but the unanswered questions about the victims’ justice still echo through the corridors of law.