A 29-year-old chef, Suman Das, from Nadia's Santipur, succumbed to injuries on Saturday night after being attacked by a group of youths for protesting against public nuisance caused by a few drunken youths taking part in a Kali Puja immersion procession on November 4.

Son of an elderly weaver, Suman used to work as a chef in a hotel in Goa and had come home on vacation to celebrate Diwali.

The incident occurred when Suman, riding his motorcycle through Santipur's Berpara Chowrasta, allegedly brushed past a participant in the Kali Puja procession around 1am on November 4, sparking a dispute.

Witnesses said Suman confronted the group for consuming alcohol on the road and disturbing the movement of traffic and pedestrians. Enraged, the intoxicated youths reportedly attacked him with bricks and other heavy objects.

Nearby CCTV cameras captured the assault, showing a group of men beating Suman before fleeing from the scene while trying to cover their faces with their hands.

Police rescued an unconscious Suman lying in a pool of blood on the road and took him to Santipur State General Hospital. Doctors at the Santipur hospital said that Suman had slipped into a coma shortly after the assault.

Suman was not kept at the Santipur hospital for long and was shifted to Nadia District Hospital in Krishnanagar. As his situation deteriorated, he was brought to NRS Hospital in Calcutta.

With his condition showing no signs of improvement, family members took him to CK Birla Hospital and later to Kasturi Das Memorial Superspeciality Hospital in Maheshtala, where he succumbed to fatal head injuries on Saturday. Doctors at the Maheshtala hospital said the injuries inflicted on his head by bricks and heavy objects finally led to his death.

On the day of the attack, the victim's mother, Laxmi Das, lodged a complaint with the police and accused the attackers of wrongful restraint, causing grievous hurt, and attempted murder. However, after Suman died on Saturday, the charges were upgraded to murder.

Sabuj Pramanik, a friend of the deceased, said: “The handle of Suman’s motorbike grazed one of the youths, but they attacked him with bricks and iron rods. We could identify some of the attackers on CCTV footage, but police are yet to arrest the main suspects.”

Echoing Pramanik, family members of Suman alleged that the police under pressure from local Trinamool Congress leaders, downplayed the incident. A family member said the police wanted to suggest that the murder was a result of a "previous grudge" that the assailants held against Suman.

"My son was our sole breadwinner, and he rarely stayed home long enough to develop enmity with anyone," said his mother, Laxmi Das. "Police are misleading us with claims of an old rivalry," she added.

A member of Suman's family was more specific in his charge against the police. "Police have so far arrested four goons but the key suspect, Sagar Das, remains at large because of political connections," the family member said.

A senior officer of Ranaghat police district, however, said no one would be spared irrespective of the criminal's political colours. He confirmed that a specific case had been registered and assured that investigation was on.

“Three suspects named in the FIR and another individual have been arrested. Others involved will also be apprehended,” the officer said.

Local residents echoed the Das family and accused the police of negligence in cracking down on criminals who allegedly had a free run in the area.

They claimed that despite the availability of evidence, authorities allowed Sagar to move freely in the area. “He can be seen moving around the town while Suman lay in a state of coma,” a neighbour of the Das family said.