Bio

Surender Koli was born in 1970 in Magru Khal village in the Almora district of Uttarakhand, India. He came from a poor rural background and had limited formal education. Before moving to the Delhi-Noida area, he worked in low-wage jobs and reportedly learned cooking and butchering skills.

In 1998, Koli married Shanti Devi, with whom he had two children. Because of limited work opportunities in his village, he later left his family and moved in search of employment. He worked as a cook and domestic helper in Noida before being hired in July 2004 by businessman Moninder Singh Pandher as a live-in servant at house D-5 in Sector 31, Nithari, Noida.

Koli lived in the servant’s quarters on the property and performed household work. In December 2006, the discovery of human remains near the house led to his arrest and placed him at the center of the Nithari killings investigation. He spent nearly 19 years in prison before later court rulings overturned his convictions in related cases.

Murder Story

The crimes associated with Surender Koli became publicly known in December 2006 following the disappearance of a young woman named Deepika, also known as Payal. During the investigation, police traced her mobile phone to Koli. This discovery led authorities to question him and search the area surrounding the residence where he worked. What investigators uncovered shocked the nation. Human remains, including skulls, bones, clothing, and personal belongings belonging to numerous missing children, were discovered in drains and vacant areas surrounding the property in Nithari.

According to investigative records and subsequent court proceedings, Koli lured vulnerable children and young women into the residence using promises of sweets, food, or assistance. Once inside, victims were sexually assaulted and murdered, primarily through strangulation. Investigators later alleged that many victims were dismembered after death and that body parts were disposed of in nearby drains and garbage areas to conceal the crimes. The discovery of numerous skulls and skeletal remains transformed the investigation into one of India's largest serial murder cases.

As investigators continued searching the area, additional remains were recovered. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) eventually assumed control of the case due to public outrage, allegations of police negligence, and the extraordinary scale of the crimes. Investigators examined allegations involving organ trafficking, child pornography, and criminal conspiracies. While various theories circulated during the investigation, prosecutors ultimately focused on the kidnappings, sexual assaults, murders, and disposal of victims' remains.

During questioning and later court proceedings, Koli was linked to multiple murders involving children and women from the surrounding community. Evidence included victim identifications, forensic examinations, witness testimony, and statements made during the investigation. The case generated national attention because many of the victims came from impoverished families whose reports of missing children had allegedly been ignored for months or years. Public anger intensified after it became clear that numerous opportunities to investigate the disappearances had been missed by local authorities.

On February 12, 2009, a special court convicted Koli in one of the Nithari murder cases involving teenager Rimpa Halder. The following day he was sentenced to death. Additional convictions followed in separate murder cases involving other victims, resulting in multiple death sentences. Over the years, the Nithari murders remained the subject of numerous appeals, legal challenges, and public debate concerning the extent of responsibility borne by Koli and his employer, Moninder Singh Pandher. Nevertheless, Koli remains the central figure associated with the murders and one of the most notorious serial killers in Indian criminal history.

He was acquitted by the Supreme Court of India on November 11, 2025 in the final remaining Nithari case, and the court ordered his immediate release. Reports state he walked free shortly afterward after nearly 19 years in prison.