Hunsur: A shocking incident in Hunsur town has highlighted the growing menace of alcohol and substance abuse, as two men allegedly killed their friend over a dispute for money to buy liquor.

The incident occurred at Hunsur’s Visvesvaraya Circle auto stand, where a man was brutally murdered by his companions late Thursday night. The deceased, identified as Khajapeer, was a truck loader by profession and a close friend of the accused, Jhabhir, 38, from Nizam Mohalla, and Inayatullah, 43, from Khazi Mohalla.

Police said, the trio had consumed alcohol earlier in the day and quarrelled among themselves. Later, while drinking again near a local wine store, Jhabhir asked Khajapeer for Rs. 150 to buy more liquor.

When Khajapeer refused, the accused allegedly attacked him with a wooden plank, striking his head, chest and private parts, leading to his death. On Friday morning, auto drivers discovered the body at the auto stand and alerted the Police and the victim’s family.

Hunsur Town Inspector Santosh Kashyap and his team rushed to the spot, collected evidence and arrested the accused within an hour. Investigations revealed that the duo had committed the murder under the influence of alcohol and returned home to sleep after the crime.

The swift operation involved Sub-Inspector Jameer Ahmed and staff members Aruna, Rajarathnam, Yogesh, Basavegowda and Irfan.

Senior officials, including Mysuru SP N. Vishnuvardhana, Dy.SP Ravi, fingerprint experts, and the forensics team inspected the crime scene. The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem.