WestBengal: An eyewitness to the killing of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, said the assailants opened fire at point-blank range, describing the attack as seemingly “pre-planned.”
The personal assistant of Suvendu Adhikari was allegedly shot on Wednesday night and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital near Madhyamgram.
According to, the eyewitness said, “Just as Chandra’s car crossed mine, it suddenly stopped midway, and a bike-borne person came and started shooting on the left side of the car. The person seemed to be an expert and fled immediately. It appeared to be pre-planned. The shots were fired at point-blank range. I heard the sound of two rounds. The incident occurred between 10:30 pm and 11 pm, around 200-300 metres from the hospital. The public brought the victim to the hospital, and the driver of the car was also shot.”
Meanwhile, Bengal BJP leader Agnimitra Paul made an allegation of a political motive behind the incident and claimed that CCTV footage was being examined.
“This is perhaps a consequence of Mamata Banerjee’s defeat in Bhabanipur. CCTV footage is currently being examined. Chandra was a trustworthy individual; he oversaw operations at the Leader of the Opposition’s office, was like a brother to our MLAs, and handled several responsibilities,” Paul said.
She also raised questions over the motive behind the murder, alleging that the incident had sparked widespread outrage among party workers and supporters.
“Why was a man who had absolutely no connection with the BJP murdered? There is massive outrage among the public. We sought peace, but now the family will certainly demand answers. Just a short while ago, one of our booth workers was attacked with a knife and is currently hospitalised,” she added.
Earlier, West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari described the killed of his personal assistant a “cold-blooded and pre-planned murder” and appealed party workers to maintain peace, assuring that the culprits would be brought to justice.
Trinamool Congress (TMC), however, has condemned the incident and demanded the CBI probe into the matter.
On its social media handle X, TMC wrote, “We strongly condemn the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram tonight, along with the killing of three other TMC workers in incidents of post-poll violence allegedly carried out by BJP-backed miscreants over the last three days, despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force.”
It further said, “We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-monitored CBI investigation.”
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