Days after a woman autorickshaw driver was found dead under suspicious circumstances, the police have arrested her lover, with post-mortem findings confirming that she was shot dead. Officials said the accused has confessed to the killing, while two other accused in the case have already been sent to jail.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police BBGTS Murthy, the police control room received a call at around 2:30 am on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, reporting an apparent road accident in which the driver of an autorickshaw had died after being crushed beneath the vehicle. Police teams rushed to the location and sent the body for post-mortem examination.
The deceased was identified as Anita Chaudhary, a 35-year-old autorickshaw driver and the wife of Dwarka Chaudhary. Initially, the case was treated as an accident, but suspicions grew after her husband lodged a complaint alleging that she had been murdered by three individuals.
The investigation took a decisive turn on Saturday when the post-mortem report revealed that Anita had sustained a gunshot injury, clearly indicating homicide. Based on the complaint and subsequent findings, police identified the accused as Mukesh Jha, 37, his 18-year-old son Shivam, and Mukesh’s brother-in-law Manoj, 35.
Police said Mukesh Jha had been in a relationship with the deceased for the past six to seven years and that tensions had recently arisen between them due to a personal dispute. On Monday evening, Shivam and Manoj were arrested and later remanded to judicial custody.
Mukesh Jha, considered the main accused, went absconding following the arrests. Police announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to his capture. Acting on a tip-off late Friday night, police traced his location and attempted to arrest him. During the operation, Mukesh allegedly opened fire at the police team while trying to flee.
Police retaliated in self-defence, during which Mukesh sustained a bullet injury to his right leg. He was immediately taken into custody and shifted to a medical college for treatment under police supervision.
During interrogation, Mukesh confessed to killing Anita, stating that he acted out of a sense of betrayal stemming from their personal relationship. Superintendent of Police (City) Preeti Singh said that a detailed investigation is ongoing to establish the full sequence of events and gather all supporting evidence in the case.
