Subhash Kumar (50), a sadhu, and Sanjay Kumar (30), both residents of hutments in the Mansa Devi Complex (MDC), Panchkula, were arrested late in the evening.

Raju, a painter by profession and a resident of MDC, was found brutally murdered early in the morning in a secluded area on the Saketri road in MDC today.

“What is disturbing is that the murder was apparently committed over a sum of Rs 30. The three of them celebrated New Year by drinking and gambling last night. When Raju won Rs 30 during the game, all three got into a scuffle. Sanjay then hit Raju on his head with a wooden rod that was lying close by, seriously injuring him,” said SHO Balwant Rai.

He added that the sadhu then took out Rs 30 from the victim’s pocket and both of them dumped an injured Raju behind the hutment and went off to sleep.

“Raju was lying without first-aid the whole night, which led to his death. It was in the morning that the police were informed by some locals. After investigating various people, the accused were arrested,” added Balwant Rai.