In a tragic incident that has shocked Jhansi, Anita Chaudhary, celebrated as the city's first woman auto-rickshaw driver, was found shot dead early Monday morning. Police have identified her partner, Mukesh Jha, as the primary suspect, citing a fallout in their relationship as the motive behind the brutal murder.
A Gruesome Discovery and Initial Confusion
The Uttar Pradesh police control room received a distress call around 2:30 am on Monday, January 6, 2026. The caller reported an overturned auto-rickshaw with a woman lying beneath it on a road in the Civil Lines area, which falls under the jurisdiction of Navabad police station.
A police team rushed to the scene. Upon lifting the vehicle, they discovered Anita Chaudhary (45) with severe head injuries. "Blood was oozing out of her head," recounted Alok Singh, the ADG of Kanpur Zone. She was immediately taken to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Initially, the scene led investigators to believe it was a fatal road accident. However, the post-mortem examination revealed a gunshot wound to the head, turning the case into a murder investigation.
Relationship Fallout Emerges as Key Motive
The investigation quickly zeroed in on Mukesh Jha (45), Anita's partner. According to ADG Alok Singh, preliminary inquiries indicated that Anita was in a relationship with Mukesh, and escalating issues between them led to her killing.
Ravi Srivastava, the SHO of Navabad police station, provided further details. He stated that Anita had stopped all interaction with Mukesh for over four months and had severed ties. Despite this, Mukesh had been persistently pressuring her to continue the relationship. "The issue turning sour appears to be the motive behind the murder," SHO Srivastava confirmed.
The police revealed a troubling history. Anita had filed an official complaint against Mukesh a few months prior, leading to an FIR against him for criminal intimidation and harassment. However, since the charges carried a potential prison sentence of less than seven years, he was not arrested at that time.
Manhunt Launched for the Accused
Following the murder, Anita's husband lodged a formal complaint accusing Mukesh Jha. A police team raided Mukesh's home but found him missing. His son and brother-in-law were taken into custody for questioning regarding his whereabouts.
In a significant breakthrough on Tuesday morning, police recovered Mukesh's car near the Barua Sagar dam in Jhansi. Crucially, CCTV footage from Sunday night had captured the same car following Anita's auto-rickshaw just hours before she was found dead.
With Mukesh Jha still at large, the police have announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for any information that leads directly to his arrest. A massive search operation is underway to apprehend the main accused.
Remembering a Trailblazer
Amid the grim details of the crime, the police and local community remembered Anita Chaudhary for her pioneering spirit. She was the first woman in Jhansi city to take up auto-rickshaw driving as a profession. Her courage in breaking gender stereotypes in a male-dominated field inspired several other women in the region to take up driving to earn a livelihood.
Her untimely and violent death has not only cut short a life but also dimmed a beacon of independence and empowerment for many women in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region.
