Periyapatna: A businessman was allegedly murdered over financial issues near Chowdenahalli village on the outskirts of Periyapatna yesterday morning.

The deceased is K.A. Harris (55), an arecanut businessman and President of Kottamudi Jamayath, near Napoklu in Kodagu district. The accused has been identified as Hameed, a resident of Moornadu in Kodagu.

Details: Harris was into arecanut business since 20 years. Hameed, who was working as his assistant since his childhood, had quit the job about five years ago and had started his own business for which Harris had extended financial support to Hameed.

Of late, Harris and Hameed joined together and started arecanut business on partnership basis near Chowdenahalli since a year. 

During auditing of the accounts recently, it was found that Hameed had misused Rs. 18 lakh. A Panchayat was held during which Hameed agreed to give Rs. 11 lakh. He (Hameed) than gave Rs. 5 lakh cash and called Harris over the phone and told him that he would pay the remaining Rs. 6 lakh cash on Monday morning. But on Monday morning, Hameed, who called Harris to his place of business near Chowdenahalli, hacked Harris to death and surrendered before the Police. Periyapatna Police, who have registered a case, are investigating.