Author Sujan Dasgupta, who created the fictional sleuth Eken Babu, was found dead in his flat on the eighth floor of a high-rise building along EM Bypass on Wednesday morning.
Dasgupta, 78, is survived by his wife and daughter.
Dasgupta lived in a flat in Tritiya Apartment in the condominium Udita. He was alone at home when their help Sunita Ghosh pressed the doorbell around 10am. Receiving no response, she called security personnel from the main gate. Dasgupta’s brother-in-law came to the flat and cops were alerted.
“The apartment was locked from inside. It was broken open by security personnel and relatives of the deceased,” said deputy commissioner (east) Gaurav Lal.
Police said Dasgupta was found lying on his bedroom floor in front of the washroom. He was declared dead at Baghajatin State General Hospital.
A cardiac attack could have caused the death, police sources said.
“Dasgupta was alone at home. His wife Shamita Dasgupta had gone to Santiniketan earlier this week and their daughter Sayantani is in the US,” said an officer.
An unnatural death case has been registered. “We have not found any indication of foul play till now,” Lal said.
Best known for his Eken Babu Samagra, Dasgupta also wrote several novels like Nibhrite, Sujan Katha, Goyenda Hajir, Khilkhabanar Gambilo, Manhattan-e-Manhunt, Manhattan-e-Moonstone, and Dhadhapurir Golokdhadha.
The story of the Bengali detective has been turned into a popular web series and a feature film.
Sources close to the family said the Dasguptas had been based in the US for several years before returning to Kolkata recently. The author’s sixth volume of his Eken Babu collection was scheduled to be launched at the Calcutta Book Fair this year.
Anirban Chakrabarti, the actor who plays Eken Babu, said: “I am Eken Babu to a lot of people first and Anirban Chakrabarti second. To think that the man behind that very character is no more just breaks my heart. Sujan-da used to often say he had imagined Eken Babu to look different on the screen, but ever since I played the character, that’s how he visualised Eken Babu. This line will live on in my heart, as will Sujan-da.”