Behind bars for nearly two decades after his arrest in the Nithari serial killings case, Surendra Koli spent his days in prison quietly — sweeping or mopping his cell repeatedly and keeping to himself, rarely interacting with other inmates.

As the Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside his conviction in a case of rape and murder of a teenage girl — one of the many cases that arose out of the Nithari murders — he is now free to walk out of prison. This was the last pending case against him; he had been acquitted in 12 other cases by the Allahabad HC on October 16, 2023.

“… He keeps to himself… doesn’t talk much to others… hardly anyone came to visit him,” said an official of Kasna jail, where Koli has been lodged for close to 14 years.

“He keeps cleaning the cell to pass time I think. He doe

See Full Page