Gautam Ghosh was murdered in Thakurpukur after a brawl broke out during a drinking session and one the two friends Ashok Roy demanded Rs 20 from the victim, police said on Thursday.

As Gautam had refused the money, he was apparently hit in a fit of rage on his head with a piece of brick lying nearby resulting in the death of the 35-year-old, police said on Thursday.

The police arrested two persons, including Roy and Rabi Das, who is also Gautam’s friend on Thursday.

The police said both of them were present with Gautam on Tuesday night and were drinking sitting inside a roadside shed in Thakurpukur’s Mukundadas Pally.

“Over a drinking session, the three picked up a quarrel. So far we have learnt that Ashok Roy demanded Rs 20 from Gautam. When he refused he first pushed him on the ground and then picked up a piece of brick and hit him on his head,” said an officer of Thakupurkur police station.

“We are yet to find out if there were some others in that drinking session.” Ghosh, who did odd jobs including pulling a rickshaw, was found lying dead near a roadside shelter with his head smashed in Mukundadas Pally in Thakurpukur on Wednesday morning.

Primarily the police said the man was hit with some heavy and blunt object on his two ears and left to bleed and die.

During initial probe police learnt that Gautam was a habitual drinker and used to run his family on his earnings. Till Wednesday it was not clear whether he was with a group of men around the spot where he was found lying.

The police removed Gautam to Thakurpukur hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Investigators had then started drawing up a list of friends with whom Gautam used to hang around or even share his drink.

“It appears that the incident took place in the wee hours of Wednesday. The two had fled away after Gautam fell down and started bleeding profusely,” the officer said.

“We will interrogate them to find out how the events had played out on the fateful night.”