Bengal boils: Suvendu’s top aide killed, witnesses say ‘shot at close range’ – what we know so far

New Delhi: Days after the assembly polls, Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant Chandranath Rath was killed in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas, triggering a political storm in the state.At about 10:30 p.m., Lars was shot to death by an assailant on a motorcycle who followed his vehicle, forced it to stop and opened fire in full view before fleeing.The incident took place in Doltala area of ​​Madhyamgram when Rath was on his way home.The killing comes as Bangladesh remains politically tense after one of the most heated parliamentary elections in recent years, with both sides bjp and TMC They have accused each other of intimidation, attacks and retaliatory violence in multiple areas.What we know so farmotorcycle attackerAccording to eyewitnesses, Rath’s car was first stopped by a four-wheeler at Dohariya junction near Dotara, after which a motorcyclist approached the vehicle and started shooting.The occupants of the four-wheeler left the vehicle at the spot and fled on a two-wheeler.Rath was seriously injured in the shooting and was taken to a nearby private hospital. He was pronounced dead by doctors on arrival, according to the party.A doctor said: “The victim suffered two bullets in the chest, piercing his heart and another bullet in his abdomen. There was no chance of resuscitating him.”As news of the killing spread, hundreds of BJP supporters gathered outside the hospital, shouting slogans against the ruling TMC and demanding the immediate arrest of those behind the attack.‘The attackers wanted to send a political message’Senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, newly elected MLAs and party workers rushed to the medical facility overnight, and the atmosphere outside the medical facility became extremely emotional.A heavy police presence was deployed outside the hospital and along Jessore Road to prevent any untoward incident.Supporters were in tears while party workers accused the ruling authorities of causing “terror” following the parliamentary election results.Adhikari also reached the hospital around midnight.Bharatiya Janata Party president Samik Bhattacharya claimed the incident was a planned and targeted attack in which the attackers wanted to send a political message.“This was not unexpected. We did not know to what extent the culture of violence in the TMC would deteriorate further. This is evidence of the blanket criminalization of politics currently prevalent in Bengal. This was a planned and targeted attack. By killing the outgoing opposition leader of the Palestinian Authority, the attackers hoped to send a political message,” Bhattacharya said.“People should take to the streets to protest and stop this never-ending violence. Once our government takes power, it will take resolute measures in accordance with the law. “Bharatiya Janata Party leader and MP-elect Kaustav Bach said Rath’s body would not be cremated until the culprits were identified.“This was a targeted attack. The attackers followed Rath’s car for a long time and then shot at him. It was Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. We will not rest until the culprits are identified. We will not cremate the body until then. ““We have been preaching peace but the TMC has made the biggest mistake,” said newly elected BJP MP Tarunjyoti Tewari.TMC asks CBI to investigateMeanwhile, the Trinamool Congress also condemned Rath’s killing.“We strongly condemn the massacre of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram tonight and the killing of three more TMC workers in post-poll violence allegedly carried out by miscreants backed by the BJP in the past three days despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force,” the party said in a statement.“We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-supervised CBI investigation, so that those responsible are immediately identified and brought to justice,” the statement said.wider political conspiracyDGP Siddhnath Gupta, who visited the hospital, said the police had recovered spent cartridges from the crime scene.“The small car, which was also used in the crime, has been seized. The number plate number of the vehicle appears to be from the Siliguri district traffic office, but our initial impression is that the number plate may have been tampered with,” he said.Barasat district superintendent of police SP Pushpa said efforts were on to identify the attackers, examine CCTV footage from nearby areas and ascertain the motive behind the attack.Investigators, meanwhile, are also trying to determine whether Rath was specifically targeted because of his close ties to Adhikari, or whether the attack was part of a wider political conspiracy.Forensic teams collected samples from the vehicle, while investigators scanned nearby surveillance footage late Wednesday to reconstruct the sequence of events, news agency PTI reported.Who is Chandranath Rath?Raut, a former Indian Air Force personnel who later served as an aide to the BJP leader, played a crucial role in Adhikari’s campaign in the Babanipur constituency, where the BJP leader defeated former chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, PTI reported.Rath officially became part of Adhikari’s official team around 2019 when the latter was serving as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government.He was initially given responsibilities related to the office of Minister Adhikari and later continued to hold similar responsibilities after Adhikari was transferred to the saffron camp.Over the years Rath became a key behind-the-scenes figure in Adhikari’s political operations, coordinating organizational efforts, managing logistics and maintaining communication with party workers.BJP insiders say Adhikari has complete trust in him and is often involved in sensitive tasks related to campaign management and political coordination.He was also part of the core team in several high-voltage political battles, including the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Babanipur campaign.There is even speculation within the BJP that Rath may be given greater administrative responsibilities if Adhikari takes a bigger role in the government after the assembly elections.