HARIPAD: Police have arrested the man who stabbed another man following a dispute over spitting betel paan. The arrested person is Vettuveni native Dilkumar (52). Pandalam native Sajeev, who sustained a serious injury due to a stab wound, is currently undergoing treatment at the Vandanam Medical College.

The incident took place at around 9.30 am on Wednesday near the Perunkulam Road, close to the Haripad Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple. Upon seeing Sajeev lying in a pool of blood, the locals alerted the police. Following this, the police arrived at the spot and rushed Sajeev to the hospital.

The police identified the accused after examining CCTV footage from nearby shops. According to the police, the altercation began after Dilkumar questioned Sajeev for spitting betel paan while bathing in the temple pond. The argument escalated, culminating in the stabbing. Sajeev is a cobbler and often gets into altercations with several people, the police said. Dilkumar, who went into hiding immediately after the incident, was nabbed by the Haripad police from Vettuveni.