Elderly Woman Tragically Beaten to Death Over Rs 10 Payment Dispute

In a shocking incident in Shahjahanpur district, a 70-year-old woman identified as Savitri Devi, who earned a living by sharpening kitchen knives, was allegedly beaten to death by a customer over a mere Rs 10 (approximately $0.14) on Monday, according to local police.

The harrowing event took place in Saraisadho village under Jalalabad police station limits. Devi asked for Rs 30 for her services, but the accused, Rajit Kumar, in his late 20s, was only willing to pay Rs 20. The ensuing argument over payment escalated, resulting in Kumar assaulting her with a stick.

Disturbed by the situation, villagers rushed Savitri Devi to the police station and then to a nearby hospital, where she tragically succumbed to her injuries later that evening.

Meanwhile, the family of the accused, Rajit Kumar, claimed that his elder brother Shobhit, who is mentally ill, was responsible for the assault, insisting that there was no monetary dispute.

Praveen Solanki, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Jalalabad, stated, “We have initiated a non-cognisable report (NCR). The woman tragically beaten to death over Rs 10 payment dispute passed away during treatment, and her body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. While visible injuries were evident, we await the autopsy report to escalate this to an FIR under the appropriate IPC section for culpable homicide. We are also investigating whether the person inflicting the injuries was mentally ill.”