The Butcher of Delhi: Serial Killer's Reign of Terror
A 2022 Netflix documentary detailed his gruesome crimes and the investigation.
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2025-05-09 08:09 GMT
Delhi was horrified by serial killings from 1998 to 2007. Chandrakant Jha killed and dismembered 18 victims in West Delhi, earning the title "Butcher of Delhi." Born in 1967, Jha, educated until grade eight, married twice, had five daughters, and moved from Bihar to Delhi for work. He lived near Azadpur Mandi and worked low-income jobs.
Jha befriended his victims, mostly migrants, offering food, shelter, and work. Minor inconveniences led to harsh punishment. His first recorded murder was in 1998, killing Aurangzeb in Adarsh Nagar and scattering his body parts around Delhi. Arrested in 1998, he was released in 2002 and resumed killing.
In 2003, Jha murdered his associate Shekhar in Haiderpur, believing him a drunkard and liar. That November, he killed Umesh, a Bihar migrant, for betrayal, dumping his body outside Tihar Jail. After a break in 2004, Jha killed Guddu in 2005. In 2006, Amit, accused of womanizing, was left outside Tihar Jail. In 2007, Upender and Dilip met the same fate. Jha often informed police about his crimes and victim locations.
Hari Nagar Police Station received calls about a body outside Tihar Jail’s Gate 3. A constable found a knotted food container with newspapers hiding blood. Inside was a headless male body and a letter with local slang mocking the police, revealing Jha’s rage.
Police investigated Haiderpur, where Jha lived, learning he killed for revenge and justice. He befriended victims, treated them like brothers, then strangled and dismembered them, scattering parts across Delhi.
In 2013, Jha confessed and was convicted of three murders, receiving two death sentences and life imprisonment. In October 2023, he was released on 90-day parole but disappeared. A 2022 Netflix documentary detailed his gruesome crimes and the investigation.
Written by: Sherin MJ, Intern.