4 min readUpdated: May 7, 2026 10:35 AM IST
Chandranath Rath, the executive assistant of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and one of his closest aides, was on the way to his home in Barasat last night. He was in the co-passenger seat of a Scorpio SUV. According to eyewitnesses and police sources, a car blocked the road around 11 am, forcing the SUV to slow down.
Moments later, a bike pulled up next to the seat on which Rath was sitting. And the assailants on a two-wheeler fired multiple rounds through the rolled-up window. Three of them hit Rath, who died soon after. The SUV’s driver was also injured. Visuals show a massive bullet hole in the SUV’s window.
Police officers have said that the killing, which has left Bengal simmering days after the BJP’s thumping win in the Assembly polls, may have been carried out by professional shooters.
What Eyewitness Said
Sushanta Sarkar, a local resident and an eyewitness, told mediapersons, “When I approached the car, I saw two persons in the front. They were bleeding. One person in the rear seat was crying. Due to the rain, the stretch of the road that is generally busy was desolate. We arranged for the injured to be taken to the hospital. Then the police came. I helped them seize three cartridge shells from the spot. It is hard to believe that such an incident can take place.”
The damaged car in which Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant Chandranath Rath was travelling at the time of the incident. PTI
What Police Said
Siddh Nath Gupta, Director General of Police for Bengal, said the car that blocked the road and forced the SUV to stop has been seized. “The number plate has been tampered with and it belongs to someone in Siliguri (in north Bengal). We have seized cartridges and live rounds from the spot. We are processing all the evidence and speaking to the witnesses. Investigation is on,” he said.
Police said they are also scanning CCTV footage and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has joined the probe. The BSF has also been alerted so that the killers cannot cross the border into Bangladesh.
Who was Chandranath Rath
Rath, fondly called “Chandra” by BJP leaders in Bengal, was considered Adhikari’s shadow. Formerly employed with the Indian Air Force, Rath joined Adhikari after a voluntary retirement from the force. He had been with Adhikari since he was with the Trinamool Congress. His mother, Hashi Rath, is a panchayat member at Chandipur in Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district.
How Suvendu Adhikari Reacted
“We are shocked, pained and hurt. We have no language to condemn this incident. JP Nadda ji has called to take stock of the situation. We are not coming to any conclusions,” Adhikari told the media outside the hospital Rath was rushed to after the shooting.
“The DGP has come and has assured us that the investigation is on and that they will identify the culprits. They have said this is a pre-planned and cold-blooded murder that was carried out after a recce for two to three days. We appeal to all BJP supporters and leaders: don’t take the law into your hands,” Adhikari said as a large crowd of BJP supporters gathered at the hospital after Rath’s killing.
He said the BJP will form a government in Bengal in the next two days. “We will ensure that justice is served and what happened in the RG Kar (rape-murder) case is not repeated. We will ensure that no mother loses their child. We are not coming to any conclusions, but there may be a political link,” he said.
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Trinamool condemns killing
The Trinamool Congress, which several BJP leaders have accused of plotting Rath’s murder, has condemned the incident and demanded strict action. “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,” the party said on X.
“We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-monitored CBI investigation so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without delay,” it added.
