Man beats elderly woman to death in Jharkhand forest

A 70-year-old woman was allegedly beaten to death in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district by a man suspected to be mentally unstable. The accused was later assaulted by villagers, rescued by police and admitted to hospital as investigations continue

Jamshedpur: A 70-year-old woman was allegedly beaten to death by a man suspected to be mentally unstable in Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district on Monday, police said.

The incident took place in a forest near Kundrukocha village in the Kowali police station area when the victim had gone to collect mahua seeds, they said.

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The accused, Ram Sardar (38), a resident of the same village, allegedly attacked the woman without any apparent provocation, Kowali police station’s officer-in-charge Mukesh Kumar said.
“He first assaulted her with a stick and later attacked her with stones, causing fatal injuries,” the officer said.

After learning about the incident, angry villagers rushed to the spot, overpowered the accused and allegedly assaulted him.

A police team reached the area and rescued the injured man, who was admitted to MGM Hospital in Jamshedpur and is currently undergoing treatment under police custody, Kumar said.

Police said he has not yet been formally arrested due to his medical condition and legal action will be initiated once he recovers.

While the motive behind the killing is yet to be established, investigators are examining all possible angles.

Preliminary findings suggest that the accused may have been suffering from mental health issues, police said. The woman’s body has been sent to MGM Hospital for post-mortem examination, and further investigation is underway, they said.