MADURAI: A 65-year-old woman from a Madurai village was murdered by her husband in a dispute over sharing Rs 1,000 disbursed by the state government as Pongal gift.

The victim was identified as

, 65, from Elumalai village near

. She was murdered by

, 79, in the wee hours of Saturday.

According to the Elumalai police the couple has two daughters and a son. All of them are married and settled elsewhere. Ramar was staying at home, while Rajammal worked as a farmhand in

. She recently returned home in view of Pongal festival.

Police said Ramar, who did not have any earnings took some petty loans and spent on him. It came to light when his wife returned village. Ever since Rajammal obtained the Pongal gift by the state government, he kept demanding for a share to repay his loan. As she refused to give him the money, a dispute broke out between the two.

Ramar attacked the woman with a

. She sustained cut injuries on her neck and died on the spot. On being alerted, a police team from Elumalai rushed to the spot and shifted the body to Usilampatti Government Hospital to conduct post mortem.

Meanwhile Ramar has been picked up by the police. During the interrogation he has admitted of murdering his wife.