Haridwar, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Dharmender, a local man who helped Surendra Koli secure work at a tea stall in Haridwar, said on Friday that he was unaware of Koli’s connection to the sensational Nithari killings case.
Koli died by suicide at the tea stall earlier in the day. His body was found hanging inside the shop.
Speaking to IANS, Dharmender said he had met Koli around 15 days ago after the latter approached him seeking work.
“I met him 15 days back when he begged me for a job. He had told me that he knows cooking, so I arranged for him to work at the tea stall at my guarantee… Only today I got to know that he is Surendra Koli and was related to the Nithari case,” he said.
Dharmender said he had asked Koli for his Aadhaar card only a day before the incident for verification.
“He said that he did not have it here but would get it. So, I had given my Aadhaar card to the owner (of the tea stall) and asked him to keep him here on my guarantee,” he said.
Recalling the incident, Dharmender said he noticed customers outside the shop in the morning while the shutter appeared closed.
“Today morning I saw customers were sitting outside the shop but the shutter was closed. As soon as I attempted to knock, I realised that the shutter was already open. Upon opening it, I saw that he (Surendra Koli) had hanged himself,” he said.
Dharmender also claimed that Koli was under depression and was suffering from low blood sugar.
Haridwar City Circle Officer Shishupal Singh Negi said Koli’s family had been informed and that an investigation was underway.
“Surendra Koli has been frequently in the news as he was an accused in the Nithari case, which is why people recognised him. His family members have been informed and should be arriving soon. An investigation is underway, and any further updates will be shared as facts emerge,” Negi told IANS.
He added that whether Koli was facing any problems at home would be known only after his family members arrived and that the matter remained under investigation.
In November last year, the Supreme Court allowed Koli’s curative petition and set aside his conviction, bringing formal closure to the long-running Nithari killings saga.
The 2006 Nithari killings came to light after the disappearance of several minors was linked to the recovery of human remains from a drain outside the house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Noida’s Sector 31. The property subsequently became known as the “House of Horrors”.
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