- By Akansha Pandey
- Sat, 13 Sep 2025 05:25 PM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
An elderly woman was found stabbed to death on Saturday morning in Deoria Community Hall Tola, Bihar. The victim, 72-year-old Fuljhari Devi, was discovered by family members with a fatal stab wound to her stomach. The motive is suspected to be a dispute over 14 kathas of valuable land registered in her name.
According to initial reports, Fuljhari Devi, wife of the late Mahendra Sah, was sleeping on the outer verandah (dalan) of her home after dinner on Friday night when an assailant attacked her. Her body was found around 5 am by a family member after neighbours noticed she had not woken up at her usual early hour. The news quickly spread, drawing a large crowd of villagers. Deoria police, led by Station House Officer (SHO) Manoj Kumar Sah, arrived at the scene, secured the area, and sent the body to SKMCH for a post-mortem examination.
Land Dispute Believed To Be The Motive
Villagers and police believe the murder is linked to an ongoing family dispute over a 14-kattha plot of land owned by the victim. Fuljhari Devi had three sons—Ashok, Mahesh and Ganesh—all of whom live separately in the same house. The victim lived with her youngest son, Ganesh.
According to locals, her two elder sons, Ashok and Mahesh, had been pressuring her to partition the land. She had refused, telling them to divide it amongst themselves after her death. This refusal led to frequent arguments, during which the two brothers allegedly spoke of killing their mother to acquire the land.
Recent Altercation And Investigation
The family conflict had recently escalated. Villagers reported that just 15 days ago, a physical altercation occurred between Mahesh and Ashok over the land, leading both to file complaints against each other at the police station. SHO Manoj Kumar Sah had personally visited the scene to investigate the matter. It was also noted that Mahesh had reportedly left for Gujarat six days ago.
Whispers among the villagers are pointing suspicion towards Ashok and Mahesh, questioning why an outsider would have any motive to kill the elderly woman.
"Prima facie, a land dispute appears to be the motive for the murder," stated SHO Manoj Kumar Sah. "The police are investigating the complete background, from the previous disputes up to the murder, and the killer will be identified very soon."