KANPUR, Jan. 6 -- Three days after the murder of Jhansi's first woman auto driver Anita Choudhary, 45, the prime suspect, Mukesh Jha, remains untraceable, with police now probing whether he jumped into the Betwa river or staged his disappearance to evade arrest.

So far, investigators have found Jha's car abandoned on the Betwa river bridge, with its fog lights still on and the driver's door ajar. A country-made pistol, believed to have been used in the shooting, and a SIM card were recovered from the vehicle.

Police have issued alerts across Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring districts amid fears that the suspect may have crossed state borders.

"Four teams are working continuously to trace him," Jhansi SSP BBTGS Murthy said. "One team fro...