Is Indian Predator: The Butcher Of Delhi Based On A True Story?

Netflix's upcoming series on a gruesome serial killer nicknamed "The Butcher of Delhi" hits screens this month. But is the horrifying show based on a true story?

Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi is set for release on July 20 and follows the Delhi Police on their hunt for a murderer who decapitates the bodies of victims and leaves their corpses outside the Tihar Jail in Delhi. The killer also leaves notes mocking investigators alongside the bodies.

“I haven’t come across any such case in the last 23 years,” one interviewee says in the trailer. Another added: “It was also obvious that [the killer] is a person who knows the system a little bit.”

Although the trailer avoids naming a specific case, it seems to follows the story of serial killer Chandrakant Jha who decapitated the body of his victims and then left their dismembered corpses across the city of Delhi.

Chandrakant was a vendor in Delhi weekly bazaars. He is believed to have killed and dismembered seven victims in total between 1998 and 2007 in west Delhi. The first murder took place in 1998.

He was arrested and held in jail for the killing until 2002 when he was then released due to lack of evidence. Bad move.

After his release he began a string of killing. He is thought to have murdered Shekar and Umesh in 2003, Guddu in 2005, Amit in 2006 and Upender and Dalip in 2007.

Chandrakant, a father of five, would befriend migrant labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and would help them get small jobs. Petty arguments over minor issues like smoking, lying or being non-vegetarian would eventually end in him strangling them.

The serial killer would taunt the police by leaving dismembered body parts around the city and outside the Tihar Jail with notes daring the police to catch him.

He was eventually caught and found guilty on three counts of murder and received two death sentences and life imprisonment until his execution in February, 2013. The Delhi High Court later changed his death sentences to life imprisonment without parole.

Ayesha Shood, the documentary's directors, told The Indian Express that thedocumentary gave her insight into "human psychology and the justice system."

Shood said: "I look forward to presenting through this docu-series on Netflix, a case that should have rocked the country but was missed."

“The non-fiction space in India is constantly evolving and I am so happy to be a part of this to create a riveting story."