Kolkata: The murder investigation into Chandranath Rath, close aide and personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, has taken a dramatic turn with investigators suspecting the involvement of Bihar-based sharpshooters hired for a contract killing worth nearly ₹40 lakh. The sensational case has triggered a major political storm in West Bengal.
According to reports, Rath was ambushed late at night near his residence in Madhyamgram when multiple assailants intercepted his SUV using motorcycles and a vehicle fitted with a fake number plate. Eyewitnesses claimed the attackers fired at point-blank range before fleeing the spot within seconds, indicating a highly coordinated operation carried out by “professional killers.”
Investigators are now probing a Bihar connection after intelligence inputs suggested that hired shooters may have been brought in from outside West Bengal specifically for the assassination. Sources quoted in reports claimed the killing could have been executed under a ₹40 lakh “supari” deal. CCTV footage, erased chassis numbers on seized bikes and the use of fake registration plates have further strengthened suspicions of a pre-planned contract murder.
The CID has officially taken over the probe considering the political sensitivity of the case. The murder came just days after the high-voltage Bengal Assembly elections and ahead of the BJP government’s swearing-in ceremony, intensifying the political atmosphere in the state.
Suvendu Adhikari described the killing as a “cold-blooded, pre-planned murder” and alleged political motives behind the attack. However, the Trinamool Congress rejected the accusations and demanded a fair investigation.
Police teams are now scanning CCTV footage across multiple districts while conducting raids to trace the suspected shooters and those who may have financed the operation.