Surinder Koli, the man at the center of the gruesome 2006 Nithari serial killings that shocked India, has walked out of jail after being acquitted in the last pending case against him. The Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, brings to a close nearly two decades of legal battles surrounding the horrific crimes. The case has also inspired a Netflix film starring Vikrant Massey titled Sector 36, a crime thriller loosely based on the Nithari killings.

The Nithari killings came to light in December 2006 with the discovery of skeletal remains of children in a drain behind the house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Noida. Koli, who worked as Pandher's domestic help, was arrested along with his employer. Investigations revealed a series of murders, rapes, and alleged cannibalism, with Koli confessing to luring young girls to the house. Between 2005 and 2007, 16 cases of rape and murder were registered.

Following widespread public outrage, the investigation was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Koli was accused of luring young girls to the house, sexually assaulting and killing them, and mutilating their bodies. He was also accused of cannibalism. Between 2009 and 2017, Koli was convicted in 12 cases and sentenced to death.

However, over the years, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli in 12 cases, citing a lack of sound evidence and a shoddy investigation. The High Court held that Koli's confession under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) could not be treated as voluntary or reliable. On October 16, 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli in 12 cases. In two of the twelve matters, the High Court also acquitted Moninder Singh Pandher.

The Supreme Court also criticized the investigation, pointing to serious lapses and a lack of forensic support for the circumstantial evidence against Koli. The court noted procedural violations in the way Koli's statement was recorded and loopholes in the recoveries allegedly made. The bench observed that the forensic analysis only helped establish the identity of the victims and did not link the accused to the crime. The court also noted the absence of legal representation or medical examination for Koli while in custody for over 60 days. The trial magistrate who recorded the confession had also indicated possible tutoring and custodial torture.

On Tuesday, November 11, 2025, a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, acquitted Koli in the last remaining case, ordering his immediate release. The court stated that convictions, particularly in cases involving capital punishment, cannot rest on mere “conjecture” and that due process must prevail even in the most horrific crimes. The Supreme Court reversed Koli's conviction while allowing his curative petition and directed that he be released if not wanted in any other case. The bench noted that Koli had already been acquitted in 12 of the 13 cases against him and questioned how the same set of evidence that did not hold good in the 12 cases could be relied upon for conviction in just one.

The Supreme Court expressed "deep regret" that despite an extensive investigation, the identity of the actual perpetrator could not be established. The court castigated the investigating agencies for their “negligence,” which it said had thwarted the effort to identify the real culprit.

Koli's release has sparked mixed reactions, with victims' families expressing disappointment and outrage. Meanwhile, Koli's family in his native village in Uttarakhand has been decimated by the infamy, with his mother passing away three years ago and his wife fleeing the village with their children a decade ago.

The Nithari killings continue to be a chilling reminder of the importance of thorough and unbiased investigations, and the need to uphold the principles of justice and due process, even in the face of heinous crimes.

Sector 36, starring Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal, is a film inspired by the Nithari killings. While not explicitly named, the film draws parallels to the real-life case, highlighting the horrifying crimes and alleged police negligence.