Chamoli police arrested Sunil Kumar, 28, on Friday, alleging he murdered his work associate over a ₹10,000 debt. The violence erupted on October 15 in Semi village, where the two men had been jointly transporting sand and gravel for the past 15-20 days.
The dispute turned fatal after Sunil consumed alcohol and confronted Sumit Kumar, a resident of Bijnor district, Uttar Pradesh, at his dwelling. When Sumit suggested resolving the payment issue at the local police outpost, the accused struck him on the head with a bamboo stick. Sumit sustained severe head injuries and was declared dead at the hospital.
"The accused owed Sumit Rs 10,000, and a dispute arose between the two regarding this outstanding payment," said Chamoli Superintendent of Police (SP) Surjit Singh Panwar. Panwar confirmed that police located Sunil near Pokhari Road and produced him before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
Authorities registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which prescribes penalties for murder. The investigation is ongoing as the court determines the next steps in the legal proceedings.