Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead on the night of May 6, 2024 [1].
The killing represents a significant escalation of political violence in the region, occurring less than 48 hours after the BJP swept to power in West Bengal [3].
The attack took place in Madhyamgram, located in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal [1]. Suvendu Adhikari said the event was a "cold-blooded and pre-planned murder" [2].
Local authorities have launched an investigation into the shooting. A senior police official said the conspiracy was hatched over the last three days and was planned and rehearsed [1]. According to the official, Rath was followed, his schedule was closely monitored, and his movements were marked [1].
The BJP has characterized the incident as a targeted political assassination. Adhikari said the killing of his aide was a cold-blooded murder [1].
Police are currently working to identify the perpetrators involved in the coordinated attack. The investigation focuses on the three-day window [1] during which the suspects allegedly tracked the victim's activities before the shooting on May 6, 2024 [1].
“It is a cold-blooded and pre-planned murder.”
The assassination of a high-profile political aide immediately following a major electoral shift suggests a volatile security environment in West Bengal. The police claim that the victim was surveilled for three days indicates a level of coordination and intent that transcends spontaneous street violence, pointing toward a calculated effort to target the leadership of the newly dominant party.
