An eyewitness to the killing of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, said the attack appeared to be pre-planned, with the assailants opening fire at point-blank range before fleeing the scene.
“Just as Chandra’s car crossed mine, it suddenly stopped midway, and a bike-borne person came and started shooting on the left side of the car,” the eyewitness told ANI.
“The person seemed to be an expert and fled immediately. It appeared to be pre-planned. The shots were fired at point-blank range,” he added.
The witness said the incident took place between 10:30 pm and 11 pm, around 200–300 metres from a hospital in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas district.
“The public brought the victim to the hospital, and the driver of the car was also shot,” he said.
According to preliminary information, Rath was returning home when unidentified assailants intercepted his vehicle near Doltala in Madhyamgram late Wednesday night.
The killing has intensified political tensions in West Bengal, with the BJP accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of carrying out a “targeted assassination.”
Adhikari described the incident as a “cold-blooded and pre-planned murder,” claiming that the attackers had conducted reconnaissance for several days before executing the attack.
While Adhikari stopped short of directly naming any organisation behind the killing, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul alleged a political motive.
“This is perhaps a consequence of Mamata Banerjee’s defeat in Bhabanipur. CCTV footage is currently being examined,” she said.
Police said the four-wheeler allegedly used in the crime has been seized. Investigators are also scanning CCTV footage from the crime scene and surrounding areas as part of the ongoing probe.
