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Supreme Court Overturned Conviction as Haridwar Man Found Dead

By Drooid · Sep 20, 2026, 10:18 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Surendra Koli Dies

Surendra Koli was found dead inside a Haridwar tea stall on Friday.
Police said he appeared to have died by suicide, but no suicide note was found.
His brother Chandan Koli claimed the family suspects foul play rather than suicide.
Koli, 53, was released after the Supreme Court overturned his conviction on Nov 11 2025.
He rented the Haridwar stall from Anil Sharma as “Sada Ram,” paying INR7,000 monthly and a INR14,000 advance.

Summary

Supreme Court Flags Lapses

Supreme Court bench flagged investigative lapses, citing an unsecured crime scene and ignored organ-trade leads.
Justices Gavai, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath said convictions require proof beyond reasonable doubt.
The 2023 Supreme Court order mandated open-court hearings for death-row review petitions.
Allahabad High Court previously rebuked investigators for scapegoating Koli and overlooking organ-trafficking angles.
Haridwar police launched an inquest and sent Koli’s body for post-mortem, IG Rajeev Swaroop reported.

History

Historical Context

The Supreme Court’s May 1980 Bachan Singh decision introduced the ‘rarest-of-rare’ test, upheld by a 4:1 majority and later refined in Machhi Singh (1983) and Bariyar (2009). A 2015 Law Commission report (262nd) urged abolition except for terrorism. This doctrinal line now frames the 11 Nov 2025 overturning of Surendra Koli’s death conviction, demanding strict evidentiary review.

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Surendra Koli Dies

Surendra Koli was found dead inside a Haridwar tea stall on Friday.
Police said he appeared to have died by suicide, but no suicide note was found.
His brother Chandan Koli claimed the family suspects foul play rather than suicide.
Koli, 53, was released after the Supreme Court overturned his conviction on Nov 11 2025.
He rented the Haridwar stall from Anil Sharma as “Sada Ram,” paying INR7,000 monthly and a INR14,000 advance.

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