A salon owner was allegedly stabbed to death by a man for refusing to cut his hair on credit in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh on Tuesday evening.

The deceased was identified as Rabendra Rishi, 43, son of Ranjit Rishi of Uttarpara area in Dhobaura upazila. He lived in a rented house in the Tariff Munshi Mor area of Jamirdia and ran a salon at a local market.

The accused, Saddam Hossain, son of Babul Mia, was arrested by police from the National Polymer area of Habirbari following the incident.

According to locals, Saddam entered Rabendra’s salon with a sharp knife and stabbed him. In an attempt to save his life, the bloodied victim ran to a nearby shop owned by Saddam’s father, but the attacker followed him and stabbed him repeatedly.

Rabendra then tried to take shelter in the courtyard of a nearby house, where Saddam allegedly knocked him to the ground and stabbed him several more times. He died at the scene from excessive blood loss.

The victim’s wife, Suchitra, alleged that Saddam frequently extorted money from her husband to buy drugs and regularly received haircuts and beard trims without paying. When Rabendra demanded payment, arguments would break out.

She claimed her husband was killed after refusing to provide another haircut on credit. Saddam had allegedly threatened to kill him several times, including before Durga Puja, when he told her, “You will receive your husband’s body after Puja.”

Officer-in-Charge of Bhaluka Model Police Station Md Zahidul Islam said police recovered the body and sent it to the Mymensingh Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

He said Saddam had been arrested and police were investigating the circumstances surrounding the murder.