Raman,  an Indian citizen from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, had moved to Britain a year ago from Doha, where he had been working in a Hyatt hotel.

London: In a tragic incident, a 38-year-old Indian restaurant manager, Vignesh Raman was fatally hit by a vehicle while cycling home from work, leaving his loved ones and colleagues devastated. The suspect, Shazeb Khalid, a 24-year-old man with no fixed address, has been arrested and charged with one count of murder. The events unfolded on February 14 when Vignesh Raman was struck by a vehicle on Addington Road in Reading. Despite being rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. The police said, “It is believed that the cyclist was also assaulted by an occupant of the vehicle, which then left the scene.”

Raman,  an Indian citizen from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, had moved to Britain a year ago from Doha, where he had been working in a Hyatt hotel, to take up the job of restaurant manager at Vel, an affordable authentic South Indian eatery in Reading popular with the Indian community.  He lived in Reading with his wife, Ramya, also an Indian national. According to a report in TOI, the day he was killed was his last day at work as he had recently landed a job to run a restaurant at the Hyatt Regency London — The Churchill in Marylebone.

As the legal proceedings unfold, Shazeb Khalid is set to appear at Reading Magistrates Court on Wednesday to face the charges brought against him.

“Our thoughts remain with the family of Mr. Raman, who are being supported by specially trained officers. We are continuing our investigation into the circumstances of his death, and arrests have now been made,” Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Brangwin of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, said.

He also appealed to people with information on the case to get in touch with the police and added that there will be a visible police presence in the area as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, a fundraising page has been set up to help Raman’s grieving family with repatriation costs, and funeral expenses.

Describing him as a “loving husband, dedicated son, and accomplished professional”, the JustiGiving page said that Raman was “a committed restaurant manager at Vel, where he poured his heart and soul into his work, earning recognition for his exceptionally warm nature, customer service, and work ethics”.

“His dream of reaching a senior management position in the hotel industry was within reach, with an exciting opportunity awaiting him at Hyatt Regency Mayfair London,” the page, which hopes to raise 50,000 pounds to support Raman, read.