THANE: Police on Friday swiftly arrested a 23-year-old youth just five hours after he fatally stabbed a 35-year-old gambling hall operator in Ulhasnagar following a dispute.

Police were alerted that a man had been attacked with a sharp weapon on a road. A team reached the spot and took the victim, Bharat Shaymlal Duseja, 35, to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested the accused, Gurav Kiran Udanshive, in connection with the murder that took place in Ulhasnagar town late on Thursday night, Thane Police PRO Sailesh Salvi said.

During the investigation, it was found that Udanashive had attacked the victim with a pair of scissors, causing injuries to his face, neck and chest.

Duseja’s cousin Manish, 38, filed a complaint on the basis of which a case was registered under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Maharashtra Police Act.

The police then swung into action and visited Udanshive’s residence at Indiranagar in Ulhasnagar. They questioned his mother and brother about his whereabouts. They told officers that he got married two months ago and was no longer living with them. Officers then obtained his phone number and after five hours apprehended him at Ulhasnagar railway station, from where he was planning to flee with his wife.

Sources indicated that the victim was operating a gambling hall in Ulhasnagar. The accused was a regular customer and had been verbally abused by the victim several times over money disputes.

Senior Superintendent of Police Anil Jagtap said, “Duseja allegedly assaulted Udanshive’s brother-in-law on the last day of Navratri over a financial dispute. Since then, Udanshive held a grudge against him, which resulted in Duseja’s murder. We have arrested him and further investigations are underway.”