Kolkata: Investigators have determined that the gunmen responsible for the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, were hired professionals who conducted extensive reconnaissance of the crime scene for three days prior to the attack.
The incident occurred late Wednesday night in Madhyamgram, near Kolkata airport. At least four assailants opened fire, discharging eight rounds from Glock 47X semi-automatic pistols. Rath, 38, sustained three gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on arrival at a private hospital. His driver, Buddhadeb Bera, also received three bullets and remains in critical condition. A third occupant in the rear seat, identified as Mintu, escaped unharmed by taking cover and is now being questioned by authorities.
According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the attackers used a silver hatchback to block Rath’s SUV on Sheikh Mujib Road, which leads to Orchard Estate where the victim had resided with his family since 2023. One assailant on a motorcycle reportedly steadied himself by placing a hand on the roof of the vehicle before firing at point-blank range through the front passenger window. The gang abandoned the hatchback shortly afterward and fled on two motorcycles in different directions—one toward the airport and another via bylanes toward Badu or Rajarhat. One motorcycle has since been recovered.
Police noted that both the hatchback and motorcycle bore fake number plates, with chassis numbers deliberately obliterated to hinder identification. The hatchback’s registration corresponded to a vehicle owned by William Joseph, a tea garden employee from north Bengal’s Matigara-Naxalbari area. Joseph was questioned at Pradhannagar police station but was found to have no connection to the crime.
The SIT, headed by CID Inspector General Anup Jaiswal and comprising officers from the Intelligence Branch, STF, and Barasat police, is leading the investigation. Empty cartridges and live ammunition were recovered from the site. West Bengal DGP S N Gupta, who visited Madhyamgram, stated that the motive behind the killing is yet to be established.
CCTV footage from a nearby factory, approximately 100 meters from the spot, captured the sequence in a roughly 50-second reconstruction. It shows the hatchback entering the road around 10 pm, followed by Rath’s vehicle eight minutes later.
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Suvendu Adhikari described the murder as premeditated, claiming his aide was targeted due to his role in Adhikari’s electoral success against Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur. He asserted that the killers had conducted a recce and trailed the victim before striking at close range. Adhikari, who spent time with Rath’s grieving family, expressed confidence in the ongoing police probe and dismissed calls for a CBI inquiry.
Siliguri BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh revealed he was speaking with Rath on the phone at the time of the shooting. The call abruptly ended, and subsequent attempts to reach him confirmed the tragic news.
