Surender Koli’s post-mortem confirmed “ante-mortem hanging”, indicating he was alive when he hanged himself.
Police ruled out the possibility of him being killed before the hanging and suspended later.
Investigators are examining CCTV footage, call records and people who interacted with him before his death.
The post-mortem examination of former Nithari case accused Surendra Koli has found evidence of “ante-mortem hanging”, suggesting that he was alive at the time of his death, Times of India reported citing police on Wednesday.
The findings have led investigators to rule out the possibility that Koli was killed first and his body was later suspended, officials said. The medical examination recorded a ligature mark around his neck and other indicators associated with hanging, including saliva discharge, a fractured hyoid bone, petechiae and bleeding from the nose and mouth.
Police said the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Koli’s death is still underway. CCTV footage examined by the police from the area around the time of the incident did not reveal any suspicious movement or activity, officials said.
Investigators are now focusing on understanding what may have prompted Koli to take his life. According to police, Koli was seen outside his tea kiosk in Haridwar at around 8 pm on the day of his death and appeared to be worried. His call detail records (CDRs) are being analysed, and police are contacting people who had spoken to him before his death.
Kotwali Nagar SHO Kundan Singh Rana told The Times of India, “Surendra Koli’s death was a case of suicide. The postmortem report states ‘ante-mortem hanging,’ indicating that he was alive at the time of hanging. However, the reason behind Koli’s suicide is still being investigated. Police are gathering information from people based on the analysis of his Call Detail Records (CDR).”
Koli, 50, was found hanging inside the tea kiosk he had recently opened in Haridwar. He had started the business around 10 days before his death. Police reached the spot after passersby noticed him hanging from a noose. A forensic team later examined the kiosk and collected evidence, but no suicide note was found.
Koli was one of the accused in the Nithari killings case that emerged in Noida in 2006. He was acquitted in the final case by the Supreme Court in November last year after spending nearly two decades in prison.
Following his release, Koli moved to Haridwar, where he first worked as a security guard before starting his tea kiosk.
