LUCKNOW: A quarrel between neighbors over a girl wearing jeans in Aligarh degenerated into bloodshed in which the girl's mother was killed and at least 12 people injured late on Tuesday night.

It began with Phoolmati, a neighbour of Netrapal Dubey, making a snide remark at his daughter, 20-year-old graduate Gunjan, for wearing jeans. When the Dubeys, who had been long tolerating Phoolmati's barbs at their daughter's dressing, objected, Phoolmati said her comments were directed at youth in general and not at Gunjan. The Dubeys, who usually overlooked her crude remarks, reacted with Gunjan telling Phoolmati to mind her own business.

Incensed by the audacity of the young girl telling her off, Phoolmati, allegedly accompanied by several men armed with sticks, cleavers and country-made guns stormed into Dubeys' house and chased and attacked the couple and their four daughters. A driver by profession, Netrapal Dubey, and his wife Kamlesh, were dragged out of the house by her henchmen and beaten up with lathis and rods. Gunjan too was wounded.

When other neighbours intervened, they were shown no mercy either. Faced with armed thugs they retreated. Sensing trouble Kamlesh tried to save her life by trying to lock herself inside the house. That led two miscreants to follow her in and further assault her.

The continuing onslaught led to more people gathering to Dubeys' defence. Soon the thugs found themselves outnumbered and began backing off. The police reached Jawalajipuram colony under Delhi Gate police station in Aligarh where the violence was going on, and found Gunjan's mother Kamlesh in a pool of blood. She had severe head injuries and had died on spot.

"On the basis of what we learnt from neighbors and eye-witnesses, it appears that the woman, Phoolmati, was not on good terms with most people in the neighbourhood. She was generally disliked for her habit of shooting off her mouth," said Aligarh senior superintendent of police Amit Pathak.

On primary investigation, the police arrested Phoolmati, wife of one Ravi, and two of her associates who were injured in attacking the Dubeys, and which led to Kamlesh's death. Gunjan, a graduate looking for a job, was taken to hospital for injuries and is under observation.

Investigators said police are gathering more evidence and information from eye-witnesses to identify the other accused involved in the brutal assault and arrest them. The body of Kamlesh was sent for post mortem to establish the exact cause of death.

