Suvendu Adhikari's aide Chandranath Rath murder sends shock waves in West Bengal, 3 detained

The killers used multiple vehicles with tampered licence plates and chassis numbers, said an investigator who asked not to be named.

The murder of West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari’s aide Chandranath Rath was likely premeditated, investigators said on Thursday, pointing to a well-planned operation that lasted less than 60 seconds. Three people have been detained for questioning in the shooting that sent shockwaves through restive West Bengal.

A visual of the local police security personnel with the dead body of Chandranath Rath. (ANI video Grab)

The killers used multiple vehicles with tampered licence plates and chassis numbers, said an investigator who asked not to be named. The West Bengal police formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case, which fanned the raging political firestorm in the state.

Adhikari said Rath (41) was murdered because of their close ties. BJP leaders across the country blamed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the murder, accusing the party that was routed in the state elections of fomenting tensions and vendetta killings.

The Trinamool Congress demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) kick off an investigation and urging the Supreme Court to oversee it. The eastern state has been gripped by violence since Monday, when the counting for the elections was completed, with the BJP winning 207 seats in the 294-member House.

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, which governed the state since 2011, was reduced to 80 seats. Five people, including Rath, have been killed and more than 1,500 arrested over the past four days as violence engulfed a clutch of districts in the state.

Officers said the carefully planned shooting in Madhyamgram, about 7km north of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, was carried out in about 50 seconds. Preliminary investigations suggest the entire operation took place between 10.08pm and 10.9pm.

The plan involved two motorcycles and a hatchback. “Three people wearing helmets were seen waiting on two motorcycles in a dimly lit lane beside a packaging unit on Doharia Lane in Madhyamgram at 9.30pm,” a local resident told the media.

Rath, his driver Buddhadeb Bera, and Mintu, a BJP worker identified by only one name, were travelling from Purba Medinipur to Madhyamgram in a white Mahindra Scorpio when a silver Nissan Micra driving towards them stopped and cut them off seconds later. Rath was in the front passenger seat.

It is unclear how many people were in the car during the shooting incident. The three men on motorcycles then sped towards the SUV and fired 10 bullets. The men then fled on the motorcycles in two opposite directions, a local resident told the media.

“A Special Investigation Team has been set up. Investigation is going on. Three people have been detained for questioning,” said a senior police officer from the Barasat police district.

Police said they have gathered footage from CCTV cameras installed in some of the residential buildings in the area.

Rath was shot five times and died on the spot. Bera was shot thrice. Mintu was sitting in the back and escaped unhurt, said party officials. Onlookers said Mintu moved Rath and Bera into the back seat and drove the Scorpio to a nearby hospital. Rath, who has worked with Adhikari for five years, was declared dead on arrival.

“Bera was stabilised and taken to a hospital in Kolkata,” said a doctor who treated him at the Madhyamgram hospital. Police said preliminary investigations suggested only one person fired all 10 rounds through the vehicle’s tinted glass. A raft of Union ministers and senior BJP leaders condemned the killing.