NEW DELHI: In a dramatic turn of events, the Supreme Court has acquitted Surendra Koli, the main accused in the 2006 Nithari serial killings, ending one of India’s most horrifying crime sagas. The Nithari serial killings had shocked the nation nearly two decades ago after human remains of children and women were found near a house in Noida.

A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai, along with Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, set aside Koli’s final conviction and ordered his immediate release, provided he is not wanted in any other case. Justice Nath stated, “The curative petition is allowed. The petitioner is acquitted of the charges and shall be released forthwith.”

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With this ruling, the Supreme Court has nullified Koli’s last pending conviction in the Nithari serial killings, bringing closure to a case that had haunted public memory since 2006. Koli had already been acquitted in 12 other related cases over the years, leaving only this one.

His curative petition argued that the same evidence used to convict him earlier was disbelieved in multiple later cases, leading to his acquittals. The apex court agreed, finally closing all criminal proceedings against him.

Earlier, in July 2024, the top court had dismissed appeals by the CBI, Uttar Pradesh government, and victims’ families challenging the Allahabad High Court’s 2023 decision that acquitted both Koli and his employer, Moninder Singh Pandher.

The Nithari serial killings involved the abduction, rape, and murder of several young girls between 2005 and 2006. The discovery of human remains in a drain behind Pandher’s home in December 2006 had horrified the nation.