BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s aide shot dead in Madhyamgram

In an incident of post-poll violence in West Bengal, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s close aide and personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Madhyamgram, Barasat, on Wednesday.

According to initial reports, the assailants stopped Rath’s car and opened fire. He reportedly suffered multiple bullet injuries and was rushed to Diversity Nursing Home, where doctors declared him dead.

Two more people, including the driver, were also injured in the incident. The attackers reportedly fired at their white Scorpio car from the left side, where Rath was sitting in the front seat.

Sources told The Statesman that the attackers were following their Scorpio car and opened fire when it slowed near Doharia along Jessore Road.

The assailants, who arrived on motorcycles, reportedly fired four rounds, three of which hit Chandranath Rath in the chest.

The investigation into Rath’s killing has revealed signs of a planned attack, with Bengal DGP Siddh Nath Gupta confirming that a fake number plate was used on the vehicle linked to the crime.

The development came a day after Rath was shot dead near Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas, triggering a political storm in Bengal amid the tense post-poll period. BJP leaders have called it a targeted political assassination, while the Trinamool Congress has condemned the killing and demanded a court-monitored CBI probe.

Gupta, who reached Viva City Hospital in Madhyamgram around 1:30am on Thursday, said police had recovered spent cartridge shells as well as live cartridges from the spot.

“The motorcycle used in the assassination bore a fake number plate. We have recovered spent cartridge shells as well as some live cartridges from the scene of the assassination. A detailed investigation into the matter is underway. Right now, I am unable to disclose further details,” Gupta said, according to IANS.

Adhikari described Rath’s killing as a “cold-blooded and pre-planned murder” and appealed to BJP workers to maintain peace.

“This is a pre-planned murder, and this is what the DGP said. A recce was conducted for two to three days, and the murder was meticulously planned. The police have initiated an investigation. We are grieving and at a loss for words to condemn this incident,” Adhikari told reporters, according to ANI.

He said the BJP leadership in Delhi had been informed, and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar had spoken to Rath’s family and the police.

“We urge all BJP workers, supporters, and those assisting our MLAs and MPs across the state not to take the law into their own hands. We will ensure that no one is denied justice or made to feel vulnerable. We appeal to everyone to maintain peace,” Adhikari added.