Chanderkant Jha, known as the 'Butcher of Delhi,' was caught by Delhi Police on January 17 after a long manhunt. He had been on the run for over a year after skipping parole in October 2023. Police arrested him at the Old Delhi Railway Station when he was trying to flee to Bihar. His capture comes after months of investigation based on a tip received by the Delhi Police.

Who is Chanderkant Jha?

Chanderkant Jha, aged 57, is a notorious serial killer responsible for murdering 18 victims in West Delhi between 1998 and 2007. His brutal crimes earned him the infamous title of ‘Butcher of Delhi.’ Born in 1967, Jha moved to Delhi from Bihar in 1990 in search of work. He lived near Azadpur Mandi and took up low-paying jobs. Although he did not have much education (up to eighth grade), he was married twice and had five daughters.

Jha's modus operandi

Jha would often befriend people, particularly other migrants, by offering them food, shelter, and work. But he would become violent if they committed even a small mistake. His extreme punishments often included murder and dismemberment of their bodies. He would then scatter their body parts across different locations in Delhi.

The murders: A series of horrible crimes

Chanderkant Jha’s first known murder happened in 1998 when he killed a man named Mangal, also called Aurangzeb, in Adarsh Nagar, Delhi. He was arrested for this murder but was released in 2002. After his release, Jha continued his killings.

In 2003, Jha killed his friend Shekhar in Haiderpur because he thought Shekhar was a drunkard and a liar. Later that year, he murdered a man named Umesh for "betraying him" and threw his body near Tihar Jail.

In 2005, Jha killed a man named Guddu because he was smoking marijuana. The following year, in 2006, he murdered a man named Amit for being a womaniser and left his body outside Tihar Jail. Another man, also accused of womanising, was killed in 2006, and his body was also found outside the jail.

Jha’s killing spree continued in 2007 when he murdered two men, Upender and Dilip, within months of each other. One man was killed because he had an illicit affair, and the other was killed for eating non-vegetarian food.

Chanderkant Jha was finally convicted in 2013 for killing three people and was sentenced to death. Later, his death sentence was changed to life imprisonment. However, in 2023, he was granted parole for 90 days, but he escaped during this time.

After he escaped, the police started a search to find him, which lasted for several months. They questioned his family, friends, and people he had worked with in areas like Delhi, NCR, Haryana, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. The police also offered a ₹50,000 reward for any information that could lead to his arrest.

On January 17, Chanderkant Jha was caught while trying to escape to Bihar from the Old Delhi Railway Station. Sanjay Kumar Sain, the additional police commissioner, confirmed that Jha's arrest marked the end of the police's months-long search for him.