KOLKATA: In a brazen attack on Wednesday night, motorcycle-borne assailants fatally shot Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of Bharatiya Janata Party’s West Bengal face Suvendu Adhikari, at point-blank range. Another aide, Buddhadeb Bera, was critically injured in the incident. The attack occurred around 10:20 pm in a lane in Madhyamgram, close to Kolkata airport, police said.
Details of the Incident
Rath, who had been part of Adhikari's close circle for at least five years, was heading home when another vehicle waylaid his Scorpio. A gunman on a motorcycle fired multiple rounds at him and Bera through the front passenger window. The victim, in his early 40s, was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. The killing capped a day of post-poll political violence in parts of the state, prompting the BJP leadership to direct its cadres to restore calm on the ground.
Investigation and Motive
Investigators said they were unsure of the motive behind the attack on Rath and his colleague, stating they would not rule out either personal or political enmity. The shocking crime occurred 48 hours after Bengal gave the BJP a massive mandate with 207 seats in the 294-member assembly. Adhikari, who retained his Nandigram seat and also defeated outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhowanipore, reached the site where his aide was shot dead around midnight but has yet to issue a statement.
Political Reactions
Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “This was expected only from Trinamool. They are responsible for this death.” The Trinamool Congress condemned the incident, calling for “a court-monitored CBI investigation” to ensure those responsible were “identified and brought to justice without delay.”
Sequence of Events
According to police, Rath and Bera were headed to the former’s Michaelnagar home in Madhyamgram from Kolkata when the incident took place. Eyewitnesses said four motorcycles carrying eight persons were trailing their car after they crossed the airport stretch. At Doharia, a slightly desolate area, a car from the opposite side blocked the vehicle in which Rath and Bera were travelling. Police have seized this car. The two motorcycles approached and started firing indiscriminately. Around eight to nine rounds were fired, with three bullets hitting Rath on his chest, stomach, and head. Bera was also hit. The assailants, who did not wear helmets, drove away after the firing.
Aftermath
Locals took both Rath and Bera to a local private hospital. Rath was declared brought dead, and Bera is receiving treatment. Police have been unable to speak to Bera as he is being treated. A police officer said, “All we can say at this moment is that we have collected some CCTV footage. The footage shows some bike-borne miscreants fleeing. The images are being verified.” The officer added, “It appears the assailants were specifically targeting Rath. We are not clear of the motive.” Senior Bengal police officers are now at the spot, and the crime scene has been cordoned off.
