A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Inspector General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been constituted to investigate the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close associate of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari. Rath was shot dead in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday night, an incident the saffron party has labeled a targeted political assassination.
Details of the Attack
The SIT comprises officers from the CID, Intelligence Branch (IB), and the Bengal Special Task Force (STF) as investigators broaden the probe into the point-blank shooting near Madhyamgram’s Doharia area. The attack left Rath dead and another aide critically injured. The killing occurred barely 48 hours after the declaration of the West Bengal assembly poll results, igniting a political firestorm across the state and escalating tensions in several districts already witnessing post-poll clashes.
Police have intensified deployment in Madhyamgram, Doharia, and adjoining areas after BJP supporters staged protests demanding immediate arrests. According to investigators, Rath was returning to his residence with aide Buddhadeb Bera around 10:30 PM when motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly intercepted their SUV near Jessore Road, close to Kolkata airport.
Eyewitnesses claimed a small four-wheeler first blocked Rath’s vehicle before armed men on bikes moved in and opened fire from close range. “As soon as the vehicle stopped, a bike-borne shooter came to the left side and started firing. It appeared completely pre-planned,” an eyewitness stated, adding that the attackers fled immediately after the shooting.
Injuries and Investigation
Police sources said Rath suffered bullet injuries to the chest and abdomen, while Bera was hit in the chest, abdomen, and leg. Rath was declared brought dead at a nearby private hospital, while Bera remains in critical condition. Doctors reported that two bullets pierced Rath’s chest and heart, while another struck his abdomen.
Investigators have recovered live rounds and fired cartridges from the crime scene and seized the small car allegedly used during the attack. West Bengal Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta stated that the vehicle bore what appeared to be a tampered registration number linked to the Siliguri Regional Transport Office. Senior police officers said CCTV footage from nearby stretches is being scanned, while forensic teams examined the SUV and collected evidence from the spot.
Background of Chandranath Rath
The murder has brought renewed focus on Rath’s journey from a former Indian Air Force personnel to one of Suvendu Adhikari’s most trusted political operators and backroom strategists within the Bengal BJP. Rath, aged 41, hailed from Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district, the political turf closely associated with Adhikari’s rise in Bengal politics. Soft-spoken and low-profile, he largely stayed away from public attention despite being deeply embedded within Adhikari’s inner circle for years.
Before entering active political organizational work, Rath spent nearly two decades in the Indian Air Force after studying at Rahara Ramakrishna Mission. People close to the family said he had once seriously considered embracing a spiritual life and remained deeply influenced by the Ramakrishna Mission ethos during his student years. After taking voluntary retirement from the Air Force, he briefly worked in the corporate sector before gradually moving into political coordination and administrative responsibilities.
His family, much like Adhikari’s, had earlier been associated with the Trinamool Congress during its rise in Purba Medinipur. His mother, Hasi Rath, had reportedly held a position in a local panchayat body before shifting allegiance to the BJP alongside Adhikari in 2020. Family acquaintances said the Rath family’s association with Adhikari stretched back more than two decades. Rath formally became part of Adhikari’s official political team around 2019, when the BJP leader was still serving as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government. Initially handling responsibilities linked to Adhikari’s ministerial office, Rath later evolved into a key organizer after Adhikari crossed over to the BJP. Over the years, he emerged as one of the most trusted backroom figures in Adhikari’s political machinery, coordinating logistics, managing organizational communication, and handling politically sensitive assignments.
Political Reactions
Suvendu Adhikari termed the killing a “cold-blooded and pre-planned murder” and alleged that the attackers had conducted a recce before executing the assault. “This is the result of 15 years of Mahajungle Raj,” Adhikari said, while urging BJP workers not to take the law into their own hands. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya described the killing as a “planned and targeted attack” intended to send a political message. BJP leaders including Agnimitra Paul, Kaustav Bagchi, and Swapan Dasgupta alleged that Rath had been specifically targeted because of his central role in Adhikari’s political operations.
The Trinamool Congress condemned the killing and demanded a court-monitored CBI probe. In a statement, the TMC also alleged that several of its workers had been attacked in separate incidents of post-poll violence over the last few days. Meanwhile, tension continued across parts of North 24 Parganas on Thursday as BJP supporters gathered outside hospitals and protest sites demanding justice for Rath. Police said raids were underway in multiple locations as investigators attempted to identify the assailants and reconstruct the sequence leading up to the ambush.
