Ludhiana, Aug. 1 -- A dispute over two months' unpaid rent ended in bloodshed on Thursday night as a 25-year-old food cart vendor was brutally murdered in Haibowal. The victim, Ravi Verma, was attacked with sharp-edged weapons near a private hospital, allegedly by a neighbour following a rent-related feud.

The accused, identified as Manish, lived in the same labour quarters as Ravi in Suncity Colony. According to the police, Ravi had been tasked by the landlord, Desraj, to collect monthly rent from fellow tenants. Manish, who shared a room with his wife, had reportedly defaulted on rent payments for the past two months, leading to frequent arguments between the two men, escalating tensions in recent days.

"Manish had been evading rent a...