Jamshedpur: Six people were arrested for allegedly beating a 41-year-old woman to death over a Rs 500 dispute at Hadimara village in West Singhbhum district, police said on Friday.The deceased has been identified as Jingi Bankira, a resident of the village. The arrested accused are Suraj Gope (25); Raghu Gope (19); Gukul Gope (26); Madhu Gope (19); Krishna Gope (26); and Reena Gope (32).Chakradharpur SDPO Syed Mustafa Hasmi said the killing was linked to an old financial dispute. “Investigation revealed that an old dispute over Rs 500 was the motive behind the killing,” he said.Police said the money had allegedly been borrowed from Jingi by Pandu Gope, Reena Gope’s husband, and remained unpaid. Pandu had died earlier, and a post-death ritual, locally known as Markhi, was under way at his house when the incident took place.According to police, the incident occurred around midnight on Wednesday, when the five men and Reena were sitting outside Pandu’s house near a bonfire. Jingi arrived there and allegedly abused them by name, police said.Enraged, the accused allegedly caught her by the hair and hands, dragged her towards the road and assaulted her with wooden sticks, slaps and kicks. Police said Suraj allegedly hit Jingi on the head six to seven times with a wooden stick, causing fatal injuries. She died on the spot.On the basis of the accused’s disclosures, police recovered two bloodstained wooden sticks, bloodstained soil, a bangle and a pair of jeans. All six accused were produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody on Friday, a police officer said.
