Jhansi’s First Woman Auto Driver Found Dead Under Mysterious Circumstances, Family Alleges Murder

Jhansi’s first woman auto-rickshaw driver who became a symbol of women’s self-reliance, was found dead early Monday morning under suspicious circumstances. Her body was discovered lying on the Station–Civil Lines Road, while her auto-rickshaw was found overturned nearby.

Several of her valuables, including her mangalsutra, mobile phone and other jewellery, were missing, leading her family to allege murder after robbery. Anita, a resident of Talpura locality, supported her ailing husband Dwarka Prasad and her family by driving an auto-rickshaw.

She was widely known in the city for breaking gender barriers and was honoured by several officials, including former DIG Jogendra Kumar, for promoting self-employment among women. According to family members, Anita left home around 9 PM on Sunday with her auto.

At around 2:30 AM on Monday, her body was found near a school on Civil Lines Road. Deep injury marks were visible on her head, and her jewellery was missing. Based on these facts, her husband alleged that Anita was killed after being robbed and that the auto was deliberately overturned to make the incident look like a road accident.

After receiving information about the incident, SP City Preeti Singh, CO City Lakshmikant Gautam and Station House Officer Ravi Srivastava reached the spot along with police force. A forensic team also collected evidence from the scene.

CO City Lakshmikant Gautam said that initial information suggested a road accident, but in view of the family’s allegations and the condition of the spot, all possible angles are being thoroughly investigated.

The exact cause of death will be clear only after the postmortem report. Police are also examining nearby CCTV footage to reconstruct the sequence of events during the night. The incident has sent shockwaves across the city, with many remembering Anita as a courageous woman who inspired others through her determination and hard work.