Beyond Bollywood: Delhi's True Crime Stories and the Sushant Singh Rajput Mystery

New Delhi: Chandrakant Jha is a notorious criminal whose actions have terrified people, especially the Delhi Police. Between 1998 and 2007, he brutally killed more than 18 migrant workers in the national capital, earning himself the chilling nickname 'The Butcher of Delhi.'

Jha didn't just commit the murders; he also dismembered the victims' bodies and scattered them in various locations around Delhi, even leaving notes at the high-security Tihar jail to boast about the crimes and challenge the police to catch him.

Delhi's Dark Secrets: Unveiling the Real Murder Cases by Serial Killers

In February 2013, a Delhi court found him guilty of three murders and sentenced him to death twice, along with life imprisonment until death. However, in January 2016, the Delhi High Court changed his death sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

In 2022, Netflix released a true-crime mini docuseries titled 'Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi,' exploring Jha's life and gruesome killings.

Beyond Bollywood: Delhi's True Crime Stories and the Sushant Singh Rajput Mystery

Chandrakant Jha: A Hawker-Turned-Serial Killer

Chandrakant Jha, originally from Ghosai in Bihar's Madhepura district, moved to Delhi in search of a job. He worked as a street vendor in the city's weekly markets. Jha's first marriage didn't last long, and he had five daughters with his second wife. However, he mostly lived separately from his family.

His series of killings started in 1998. He was arrested once and spent nearly four years in jail but was released in 2002 due to insufficient evidence. After his release, he went on a killing spree, taking the lives of at least six more victims.

Chandrakant Jha's Modus Operandi

Jha had a consistent way of committing his crimes: he would make friends with male migrant workers, usually from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He'd help them get jobs and let them stay at his house in JJ Colony, Hyderpur, as reported by India Today.

However, there was a pattern to his actions. After a while, a small disagreement or something he considered morally wrong, like lying, womanizing, drinking, smoking, or eating non-vegetarian food, would happen. This disagreement would then be the 'trigger' for him to kill them.

The method he used for the kill was brutal.

 

He would start by tying his victim's hands, pretending it was a form of punishment. Then, he used a nunchaku, a weapon with two sticks connected by a chain or rope, to strangle them to death.

But the cruelty didn't stop there.

After killing them, he would cut up the bodies into pieces and spread them in various parts of the city, as reported by the Indian Express.

Jha's 'Catch Me If You Can Moment' With Police

By 2006, Jha had become a serial killer and had twice dared the police to catch him, as per India Today. He admitted that it was his way of seeking revenge on the Delhi Police for the mistreatment he faced in custody.

To mock the police, in 2006, Jha left a headless body outside Tihar jail in West Delhi. He even called the authorities anonymously to alert them. Alongside the body, there was a note written by Jha claiming responsibility for the murder. On that note, he warned the police that more victims would follow if they didn't catch him in time.

Shortly after, Jha killed two more victims, cut up their bodies, and scattered the parts in different locations in Delhi. Another headless body, with a note signed by Jha, was found outside Tihar Jail.

Arrest And Confession

Jha's terrifying killing spree continued until 2007, causing nightmares for the police. On May 20 of that year, they finally caught him at his home in Delhi.

Out of the seven murder cases against him, he was found guilty in three, while the remaining four had to be dropped due to lack of evidence. According to India Today, during police questioning, he confessed to killing more young men and disposing of their bodies at different places in Delhi. He even admitted to learning how to cut bodies to minimize blood loss after mutilation.

Jha is now serving a life sentence in Delhi's Tihar jail for the three murder convictions. In August of this year, the Delhi High Court granted him a 90-day parole, acknowledging that he has spent over 15 years in jail and has had satisfactory conduct during his time behind bars.