In a tragic event on Wednesday night, Chandranath Rath, a trusted aide of outgoing Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, was fatally shot while returning home from a party event in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas district. The incident was confirmed by Kaustav Bagchi, a newly elected BJP MLA and senior Calcutta High Court advocate, who stated that Rath’s vehicle was followed by another car for a significant distance. Upon reaching the Doharia crossing, the pursuing vehicle intercepted and blocked Rath’s car, after which armed attackers opened fire, causing fatal injuries to Rath.
Bagchi alleged a political motive behind the attack and emphasized the need for swift action by the authorities. He mentioned that Rath suffered multiple gunshot wounds to vital areas and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Viva City Hospital. Another individual, Buddhadeb Bera, who was accompanying Rath, also sustained severe gunshot injuries and is currently in critical condition at the same hospital. Both Rath and Bera were integral members of Adhikari’s core team and actively participated in managing his election campaign in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.
The police are treating the incident as a pre-planned attack based on the nature of the assault. Senior police officials have initiated an investigation into the matter, with efforts focused on reviewing CCTV footage in the vicinity and locating potential eyewitnesses to identify the assailants. Suvendu Adhikari, upon learning of the attack, was en route to the hospital, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the impact on his close associates.
