Police arrested two youths on Monday for allegedly killing an on-duty police constable on his birthday by running him over with their motorcycle on Berachampa Road of North 24-Parganas in the small hours of Sunday.

Accused Mohasin Mollah, 19, and Asish Rahaman, 20, were reportedly drunk.

A little after Saturday midnight, constable Laxmikanta Ranjan, attached to Haroa police station, celebrated turning 59 by offering muffins to his colleagues.

Minutes later, Ranjan was on duty in nearby Motail area when a speeding motorcycle hit him in the small hours of Sunday.

The critically injured constable was rushed to Haroa Rural Hospital and soon transferred to RG Kar Medical College Hospital. He succumbed to injuries there on Sunday morning.

Both the accused youths are residents of Chhapna Purbapara under the Technocity police station.

They were charged with causing death not amounting to homicide, by a rash or negligent act.

The duo on Monday were produced before the additional chief judicial magistrate’s court in Basirhat, which remanded them in 11-day police custody.

Colleagues remembered the deceased policeman, who was a resident of Nodakhali in South 24-Parganas.

An officer of Haroa police said Ranjan was in a jovial mood while treating his colleagues to muffins on his birthday.

“Laxmikantada was in a jovial mood and treated all of us to muffins, which we had as a snack while being on duty. Once he finished distributing the muffins, the speeding motorcycle hit him, hurling him several metres away,” said a colleague. “He suffered multiple fatal injuries.”

Police sources said the two accused youths who had lost control of the bike were also injured. Trying to flee, they were intercepted by cops. However, they were formally arrested on Monday.

A Haroa police officer said that prima facie it looked like the youths were under the influence of alcohol.