Chandranath Rath, a close aide to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in West Bengal following state elections. The murder occurred near Madhyamgram when motorcycle-borne assailants ambushed his vehicle, also injuring another aide.
The shocking murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide and executive assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, has triggered massive political outrage in West Bengal just days after the Assembly election results. Rath was gunned down late Wednesday night near Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district in what BJP leaders described as a “pre-planned” and “cold-blooded” attack.
According to preliminary police findings, the attack took place around 10:20 pm when Rath was travelling in a Scorpio SUV with another aide, Buddhadeb Bera. Reports said motorcycle-borne assailants chased the vehicle before blocking it near Doltala in Madhyamgram, close to Kolkata airport. The attackers then opened fire at point-blank range and fled immediately after the shooting. Bera was critically injured in the ambush.
Investigators believe the operation was carefully planned. Reports claimed at least four motorcycles and eight armed attackers were involved in the execution-style killing. The manner in which the SUV was intercepted and attacked has intensified concerns over political violence in Bengal.
Reacting to the murder, Suvendu Adhikari called the incident “heart-wrenching” and termed it a “cold-blooded murder.” He alleged that the attackers had conducted reconnaissance before carrying out the shooting. “The way the attack was executed clearly suggests that the assailants had done a recce beforehand,” Adhikari said while speaking outside the hospital.
Also Read: Suvendu Adhikari's PA murder: Vehicle seized, live rounds found
Despite his sharp criticism, Adhikari urged BJP workers not to retaliate. “We would appeal to everyone not to take the law into their own hands,” he said. He also claimed that attacks on BJP workers continued in several parts of the state after the election verdict.
The Trinamool Congress condemned the killing and demanded a CBI probe into the matter, calling the violence “unacceptable.” Meanwhile, police have reportedly recovered crucial evidence and launched an extensive investigation into the murder.
Chandranath Rath, a former Indian Air Force veteran, had joined Suvendu Adhikari’s team in 2019 and became one of his most trusted associates. Reports suggested he was expected to take on a bigger organisational role within the BJP in Bengal. His murder has now become the latest flashpoint in the state’s bitter political rivalry and renewed debate over post-election violence.
Also Read: Suvendu Adhikari's PA shot dead; eyewitness calls it ‘pre-planned’
