'The Butcher Of Delhi': Chandrakant Jha, Hawker Who Turned Serial Killer Preying On Migrants

Chandrakant Jha brutally murdered more than 18 migrant workers in the national capital between 1998 and 2007, earning for himself the moniker of 'The Butcher Of Delhi'.

Chandrakant Jha, a hawker who became 'The Butcher Of Delhi'.

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New Delhi: From the world of crime, few names have sent shivers down the spine of people the way Chandrakant Jha would do. A nightmare for Delhi Police, Jha brutally murdered more than 18 migrant workers in the national capital between 1998 and 2007, earning for himself the moniker of 'The Butcher Of Delhi'.

Jha not only murdered his victims but also dismembered their bodies and scattered them at different locations in and around Delhi, including outside the gate of high-security Tihar jail, along with notes claiming credit for the crime and daring the police to catch him.

In February 2013, a Delhi court found him guilty of three counts of murder and handed out two death sentences and life imprisonment until death. However, in January 2016, the Delhi High Court commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of remission.

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

Chandrakant Jha: A Hawker-Turned-Serial Killer

A native of Bihar's Ghosai in the Madhepura district, Jha came to Delhi in search of employment and worked as a hawker in the city's weekly markets, according to a report by India Today. His first marriage had ended within a year, and he had five daughters with his second wife. Jha, however, mostly lived away from his family.

His killing spree began in 1998, as per his case records. He was once arrested, and spent almost four years in jail, but was released in 2002 due to lack of evidence. Following his release, he went on a murderous rampage, taking the lives of at least six more victims.

Chandrakant Jha's Modus Operandi

Jha's modus operandi remained consistent throughout his crimes: he would befriend male migrant labourers, typically from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, help them find jobs, and also provide them with accommodation at his house in JJ Colony, Hyderpur, as per the India Today report.

 

Later, there would invariably be a petty disagreement, or anything that he would find morally incorrect like lying, womanising, drinking, smoking, or being non-vegetarian, and that would be the 'trigger' for him to kill them.

The method he used for the kill was brutal.

 
He would initially tie his victim's hands under the pretext of punishment, and then use a nunchaku, a weapon consisting of two wooden sticks joined together by a chain or rope, to strangle them to death.

The brutality would not end there.

After the murders, he would dismember the victims' bodies and scatter the parts in different areas of the city, Indian Express reported.

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

Jha, who had turned a serial killer by 2006, had not once but twice challenged the police to catch him if they could. He had admitted that this was his way of taking revenge on Delhi Police for the torture he suffered during his custody, according to the India Today report.

To taunt the police, Jha dumped a headless body outside West Delhi’s Tihar jail in 2006, and even alerted the authorities through an anonymous phone call, it was reported. Alongside the body, the police also recovered a note, written by Jha where he claimed responsibility for the murder. In that note, he also warned the police that there would be more such victims if they failed to apprehend him in time.

 
Soon after, Jha killed two other victims and dismembered their bodies, before scattering them at different locations in the national capital. Another headless body was found outside Tihar Jail, along with a note signed by Jha.

Arrest And Confession

Jha's killing spree, which had become a nightmare for the police, continued till 2007. On May 20 that year, the police were finally able to catch Jha, who was picked up from his residence in Delhi.

 

Of the seven murder cases filed against him, he was found guilty in three and was let off in the remaining four due to a lack of evidence.

During police interrogation, the India Today report said, he confessed to killing several other young men and disposing of their bodies at various locations in Delhi. He even admitted to having perfected the art of cutting bodies to minimise blood loss after mutilation.

Jha is currently serving a life term in Delhi's Tihar jail after being convicted in three murder cases.

In August this year, the Delhi High Court granted 90-day parole to Jha, noting that he has spent more than 15 years in jail and has not been released in the last three years while his conduct behind bars has been "satisfactory".