In a dramatic conclusion to a five-year manhunt, Delhi Police's Crime Branch has finally apprehended a software engineer accused of murdering his own mother. The fugitive, Animesh Jha (42), was arrested at the Indo-Nepal border on December 5, bringing an end to his flight that exploited pandemic-era relief measures.
A Gruesome Crime Rooted in Addiction and Greed
The horrific incident traces back to February 24, 2017, at the family's residence in Dwarka. Jha, a BTech graduate whose life derailed due to addiction to heroin, hashish, and marijuana, allegedly murdered his 53-year-old mother, Meeta Jha, a former insurance firm manager. Police investigations revealed a strained relationship between the two following his father's death, primarily over financial matters and Jha's apprehension that his mother would transfer property to his sister.
The fatal confrontation erupted when Jha, under the influence of drugs, demanded money from his mother. After she refused, the argument turned violent. In a brutal assault, Jha repeatedly struck his mother's head against a wall and then strangled her by wrapping a rope around her neck. He then placed her unconscious body on a bed and left her to die, walking away from the scene.
The Discovery and Initial Digital Manhunt
For three days, the Dwarka apartment remained silent. The alarm was raised by Jha's sister, a doctor based in London, who grew concerned after her mother failed to answer repeated calls. She alerted neighbours, who subsequently contacted the police. On February 28, 2017, police broke open the door and discovered the decomposed body.
An extensive digital investigation led by then-DCP (Dwarka) Surendra Kumar was pivotal. His team analysed CCTV footage that showed Jha entering the apartment with the murder weapon—the rope. They also traced his frantic attempts to borrow cash by scrutinising his LinkedIn communications. This digital trail led to his initial arrest in Patna. After spending about three years in Tihar jail, Jha secured interim bail in 2020, during the pandemic, and subsequently vanished, leading to him being declared a proclaimed offender.
Five Years in Hiding and Cross-Border Capture
Jha managed to evade capture for five years by crossing into Nepal. The case was revived when Surendra Kumar, now a Joint Commissioner in the Crime Branch, formed a special team including DCP Harsh Indora, ACP Rajpal Dabas, and Inspector Gautam Malik to track him down.
Over several weeks, Inspector Gautam Malik employed electronic surveillance after tracing a message Jha had sent to a friend on an app. The digital footprint pointed to Kathmandu, Nepal. Investigations revealed Jha had been living a low-profile life there, initially working as a waiter in a restaurant and living in a hotel dormitory. For the past two years, he had been working as an English teacher for classes VI and VII at a private school and had rented a room for Rs 7,000 per month.
Facing the challenge of an international operation, the Delhi Police team devised a plan to lure him out of Nepal. The operation culminated in his arrest at Sonauli in Uttar Pradesh, a major border crossing point, closing a long and painful chapter for the victim's family.
