IN A shocking development within 48 hours of West Bengal Assembly poll results, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, was shot dead by unidentified assailants on the northern fringes of Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering sharp political reactions and heightened tension in the area. The incident took place at Doharia in Madhyamgram’s Doltala area in North 24 Parganas district, where Rath, who served as the executive assistant to the leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, was shot at point-blank range by motorcycle-borne assailants, sources said. According to preliminary information, the attackers followed Rath’s car, intercepted it, shot him through the rolled-up window from the opposite side and fled the scene immediately after carrying out the attack. He was seated in the front seat next to the driver. Rath’s driver also sustained bullet injuries and was shifted to a Kolkata hospital, where his condition was stated to be critical. The killing sent shockwaves through West Bengal’s political circles, with the BJP accusing the TMC of unleashing retaliatory violence and the latter countering with allegations of attacks on its own workers across several districts. Rath, was returning to his residence in Madhyamgram when the attack took place. Police are examining CCTV footage and have formed multiple teams to trace the men involved in the killing of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s close aide Chandranath Rath, a senior officer said on Thursday. Police are also probing whether contract killers were engaged in the murder of Rath, who was shot dead in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night.

 

A forensic team visited the spot on Thursday morning and collected samples, while officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) also joined the probe, he said. “Going by the circumstantial evidence, it seems that the murder was pre-planned. Investigators are examining CCTV footage from the crime spot and nearby areas, while multiple police teams have been formed to trace the assailants,” the officer said. Police, however, are yet to make any arrests in connection with the crime. Police later seized the abandoned small car and found its number plate to be fake. “The chassis number and engine number have been erased. It indicates the murder was planned earlier,” a senior officer said.Police recovered empty cartridges, live ammunition and bullet shells from the spot, while forensic experts indicated that sophisticated Glock pistols appeared to have been used in the attack. “A weapon of this nature is generally not used by ordinary criminals. We are examining whether professional shooters were involved,” a senior officer said. “The victim was brought dead with two bullet injuries on his chest, which pierced his heart, while another bullet struck his abdominal area. There was no opportunity to resuscitate him,” a doctor at the hospital said. Television visuals showed the front windshield of the SUV shattered by bullets, blood stains on the seats and police personnel cordoning off the area amid mounting tension. Rath’s driver Buddhadeb Bera also sustained bullet injuries and remained critical after undergoing surgeries at a Kolkata hospital.

 

Adhikari, who reached the hospital around midnight, described the killing as “heart-wrenching” and alleged that the assailants had conducted a recce before carrying out the attack. “This is a cold-blooded murder. The DGP has assured that they will investigate the matter,” he said. Adhikari, however, stopped short of directly naming any organisation behind the attack and appealed to party workers not to take the law into their own hands. Adhikari said he had spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president Nitin Nabin regarding the killing. Adhikari on Thursday claimed that his Personal Assistant Chandranath Rath might not have been killed had he not worked for him, and expressed confidence that police would arrest the assailants. He alleged that contract killers were involved in the murder of Rath, and claimed that his close aide had no political enmity. Referring to the probe, Adhikari said the DGP had informed him that a motorcycle allegedly used in the crime had been recovered around four kilometres away from the spot. He claimed that the police were capable of solving cases but alleged that “they were not allowed” to do so earlier, in an apparent dig at the TMC Government. When asked about the TMC’s demand for a CBI inquiry into the killing, Adhikari said, “There is no relevance of the TMC now. Police will be able to solve this.” The BJP leader urged the police to identify everyone involved in the killing and ensure they receive capital punishment. Adhikari said BJP leaders in Purba Medinipur would stand beside Rath’s wife and daughter. The TMC rejected the allegations, insisting the party had no role in the murder and accusing the BJP of politicising the incident even before the investigation was complete.