In a significant breakthrough, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a 42-year-old man accused of murdering his own mother in 2017, ending his five-year-long run from the law. The arrest was made near the sensitive Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh.
The Long Arm of the Law: Arrest After Years of Evasion
Animesh Jha, a resident of Dwarka in New Delhi, was finally apprehended on the intervening night of December 3 and 4, 2025. The arrest took place at Nautan Road in Sonauli, Uttar Pradesh, a key transit point on the border with Nepal. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Harsh Indora stated that the operation was the culmination of months of meticulous surveillance and intelligence gathering by a dedicated team.
Jha's flight from justice began after a horrific crime in 2017. The case came to light on February 28, 2017, when Jha's sister approached the police, worried that their mother had been unresponsive to calls for several days. Police soon discovered the elderly woman's body at her residence in Dwarka. An First Information Report (FIR) under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code was immediately registered at the Dwarka North police station.
A Motive Rooted in Greed: Property Dispute Leads to Matricide
During interrogation following his arrest, the accused made a shocking confession. DCP Indora revealed that Animesh Jha disclosed he murdered his mother because he suspected she intended to transfer all her property to his sister. This alleged property dispute appears to have been the primary motive behind the brutal crime.
Investigations took a complex turn when Jha, a B.Tech graduate, was granted interim bail during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, he exploited this relief and failed to rejoin the trial proceedings, choosing instead to disappear. His continued absence led the court to formally declare him a Proclaimed Offender (PO) on October 22, 2024.
Technical Sleuthing and Ground Work Seal His Fate
To track down the fugitive, a specialized team led by Inspector Gautam Malik was formed. The officers employed a dual strategy of advanced technical analysis and relentless ground surveillance to trace Jha's movements. This persistent effort eventually pinpointed his location in the border town of Sonauli, leading to the successful arrest.
The case highlights the challenges of tracking down determined fugitives and the eventual success of coordinated police work. The arrest near an international border also underscores the lengths to which individuals accused of serious crimes may go to evade capture, and the corresponding reach of law enforcement agencies in bringing them to justice.
