kanpur, Jan. 6 -- In Bundelkhand, a region notorious for dacoits in the past and where rigid social norms still decide who may work and how, a 45-year-old woman, Anita Chaudhary, mustered strength to choose the driver's seat and break the glass ceiling. A mother, a breadwinner and Jhansi's first woman auto-rickshaw driver, she became a quiet symbol of resilience in a city that celebrates the courage of Rani Lakshmibai. Early Monday, Anita's struggle for a better future came to a violent halt as she was murdered, according to the police Her blood-soaked body was found on the Station-Civil Lines Road in Jhansi around 2.30 am near a school under the Navabad police station limits. Locals alerted the police, who found her auto-rickshaw lying on its side a short distance away. Her jewellery and mobile phone were allegedly missing. With deep injuries only to her head, her family alleged this was not an accident but a murder. There were no visible injuries on other parts of her body. Jhansi's senior superintendent of police BBTGS Murthy confirmed that the woman was murdered. Post-mortem reports have revealed a gunshot injury in the neck, he added. The police took three persons into custody after registering a case of murder. "Initial report (was) that she was killed in an accident but the evidence suggested otherwise, the post-mortem cleared that she was murdered. We have taken three persons - Manoj Jha, Shivam Jha and one other - into custody. They have been named by the family in the FIR," he said. Anita, who lived in Ambedkar Nagar of Talpura locality, had left home around 9.30 pm on Sunday, telling her family she was going out to drive the auto. When she did not return late into the night, the family grew anxious. Around 3.30 am, they received a call informing them that she had been found injured on Station Road. Her husband Dwarika Chaudhary, who runs a small handcart near the bus stand, alleged that she was killed after being robbed. "Her mangalsutra, earrings, anklet and mobile phone are missing. Only her head is injured. If this was an accident, there would have been injuries elsewhere too," he said. Police officers, including circle officer City Laxmikant Gautam and superintendent of police City Preeti Singh, reached the spot along with forensic teams. The area was cordoned off and evidence collected. The body was sent for post-mortem. Anita's sister Vinita Chaudhary said the family was demanding that CCTV footage from nearby roads and establishments be examined. "She used to drive in the mornings and again at night. She managed the house during the day. That auto was her life. There is no reason for the auto to suddenly overturn like this," Vinita said. "This looks like murder after robbery. We want justice." Anita's journey to becoming Jhansi's first woman auto driver was neither easy nor celebrated at home initially. She had worked for nearly 15 years with a private company before quitting in 2020 after an argument with her supervisor. Though the management later tried to call her back, she refused. With her husband's income proving insufficient to run the household, Anita took her children to Maharashtra in search of work. The Covid-19 lockdown forced her back within weeks. The family's financial situation worsened. Banks were reluctant to offer a loan when she decided to buy an auto. Even at home, there was resistance - relatives objected to a woman driving an auto. Eventually, with documents arranged on her own, she bought an auto on finance on February 18, 2021. She learned to drive from a neighbour. Soon, she was on the roads of Jhansi, ferrying passengers through areas where women drivers were unheard of. Her determination earned her recognition, and she was later felicitated by senior police officials for becoming the city's first woman auto driver. "She never complained," Vinita said. "She just wanted her children to study and live better than we did."...