Bengal Shock: Suvendu Adhikari’s PA Gunned Down
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Kolkata
- May 07, 2026
- 533
Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in a late-night attack at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Wednesday, triggering a major political controversy in the state.
According to reports, the attack took place around 10:30 pm while Rath was returning home from Kolkata to Madhyamgram in a Scorpio vehicle. He was seated beside the driver and was accompanied by driver Buddhadeb Bera and another person.
Police sources said that between Dolatala and Madhyamgram, nearly 20 kilometres from Kolkata, a car approached from behind and blocked the Scorpio’s path. Moments later, an assailant riding a motorcycle arrived and opened fire from the left side of the vehicle, reportedly firing between six and ten rounds.
Rath sustained four bullet injuries, including two in the chest and one in the stomach. Driver Buddhadeb Bera was also hit in the firing. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Rath was declared dead, while the driver remains in critical condition.
After carrying out the attack, the assailants abandoned the car used to intercept the Scorpio and fled on a motorcycle. Investigators later found that the number plate on the abandoned vehicle was fake.
Preliminary forensic findings suggest that the attackers used a Glock 47X pistol, a sophisticated firearm rarely associated with ordinary criminal activity. Investigators suspect the involvement of professional shooters due to the precision and execution of the attack.
Police also revealed that the motorcycle used by the gunman had no visible registration plate, while the attacker was wearing a helmet, complicating identification efforts.
Reacting strongly to the incident, Suvendu Adhikari described the killing as a “planned murder” and alleged that the attack was carried out after “two to three days of recce.” While appealing to BJP workers to maintain peace, he said the party would launch a drive to “cleanse Bengal of gangsters.”
The BJP accused the All India Trinamool Congress of being behind the murder, escalating political tensions in the state.
The TMC, however, rejected the allegations and demanded a court-monitored CBI investigation into the killing. In a statement issued late Wednesday night, the party condemned the murder and called for strict action against those responsible. It also sought investigations into the killings of both BJP and TMC workers in the state.