A man associated with an NGO and known for feeding stray dogs in Salt Lake was beaten by his employer’s driver, leading to his death a week later. The victim, identified as 46-year-old Gautam Pramanik, originally hailed from Malda and had been living in Kolkata for the past three years. He died at SSKM Hospital on Saturday night (18th October), a week after the assault.
Police said two people have been arrested in connection with the incident, which took place on 11th October. The accused have been identified as Shah Abdul Kabir, the driver of Pramanik’s employer, and another man named Sikander. However, police added that at least two more people involved in the attack are still absconding.
According to Gautam’s family, he had gone out that night, as he often did, to feed stray dogs. “He had hired a car to go to his employer’s residence to pick up some dog food. After leaving the house, the employer’s driver, along with a few others, attacked him for no apparent reason,” said his brother, Krishna Pramanik.
The complaint lodged with the police stated that Shah Abdul Kabir led the group that assaulted Gautam, hitting him repeatedly and leaving him severely injured. Around 10 minutes later, the driver who had dropped him off came back and found Gautam lying unconscious in a pool of blood outside the employer’s house.
He was immediately rushed to SSKM Hospital, where doctors said he had suffered serious head injuries. Gautam remained in a coma for several days before succumbing to his injuries on Saturday night.
The police said the motive behind the attack is still unclear. However, Gautam’s family said that the driver had often forced him to buy alcohol, even though Gautam did not drink. “Maybe they asked him to do something he refused, and that led to the assault,” said his brother.
Gautam is survived by his wife and son, who live on VIP Road in Kolkata. Police said investigations are ongoing, and efforts are being made to trace the remaining accused.
