India, Nov. 11 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday acquitted Nithari killings convict Surendra Koli in the sole case in which his conviction and life sentence still stood, holding that the 2011 verdict could not be sustained when he has already been acquitted in 12 other connected cases arising from the same set of facts and evidence.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai and justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath said that maintaining Koli's conviction in just one case, after the top court itself had set aside his conviction in all other cases based on identical material, would be anomalous and unjust.

"The petitioner be released forthwith, if not wanted in any other case. The jail superintendent is to be informed of this judgment...