A domestic help was allegedly murdered at the house of late Indian football legend PK Banerjee following a fight over stealing money in Kolkata’s Salt Lake on Friday.

Police said Ghosh’s two daughters live in the house and, after returning from Thailand, one of them found cash missing from a bag. She filed a complaint at the Bidhannagar Police Station and the house help, Gopinath, and driver Barun Ghosh were called in for questioning. Officials said Gopinath and Ghosh nearly came to blows at the police station.

After being sent back home, Gopinath and Ghosh sat down to drink on Friday night – which was the night of Holi – and began fighting again over the alleged theft. Ghosh allegedly stabbed Gopinath multiple times, leading to his death.

Ghosh has been arrested and police said CCTV footage is being scanned to gather more evidence.

PK Banerjee was a 1962 Asian Games gold-medallist, who scored 65 international goals in 84 appearances for the national team. He also led India in the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he scored the equaliser against a formidable French team in a 1-1 draw.

Banerjee was awarded the Centennial Order of Merit by football’s governing body FIFA in 2004. After battling prolonged illness, he died at the age of 83 in Kolkata in 2020.