4 Bullets, Fake Number Plate, Gunmen: How Suvendu Adhikari's Aide Was Killed

The car of Chandranath Rath, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant who was shot dead in West Bengal's Madhyamgram on Wednesday night, was blocked by a vehicle with a fake number plate before a gang of assailants riding motorcycles pumped three bullets into him, said investigators as they weave a sequence of events that led to the murder.

The sensational murder took place at around 10.30 pm. The victim's car was intercepted near Doltala in Madhyamgram by motorcycle-borne assailants who tailed his vehicle. The car with the fake number plate reportedly forced Rath's car to stop in the middle of the road. The attackers then shot at least four bullets at the victim's vehicle.

The occupants of the car with the fake number plate abandoned the vehicle and escaped on the motorcycle.

A doctor at the hospital told PTI that the victim was brought dead with bullet injuries to his chest, including one to his heart.

"The victim was brought dead with two bullet injuries on his chest, which pierced his heart, while another bullet struck his abdominal area. There was no opportunity to resuscitate him," the doctor said.

A witness claimed the attackers appeared to be professionals.

"Just as Chandra's car crossed mine, it suddenly stopped mid-way, and a bike-borne person came and started shooting on the left side of the car... The attacker seemed to be a professional... He fled immediately... The shots were fired at point-blank range... I heard the sound of 2 rounds... This incident occurred between 10.30 pm and 11 pm," the witness told NDTV.

Motorcycles Were Without Number Plates

Per the initial investigation, the attackers used four motorcycles and a car to carry out the killing, around 170 meters from the victim's house.

Also read: From Air Force Veteran To Suvendu Adhikari's Aide: Who Was Chandranath Rath?

"A suspicious vehicle that allegedly blocked the way of the Rath's car has been seized. However, the number plate attached to it was found to be fake," said Siddh Nath Gupta, Bengal's Director General of Police.

The motorcycles were reportedly without number plates. The car's chassis number is suspected of being tampered with.

Sophisticated Firearms Used

The police suspect the use of sophisticated firearms during the attack.

A police officer told the news agency that the attackers might have used Glock 47X pistols.

"A weapon of this nature is generally not used by ordinary criminals. We are examining whether professional shooters were involved," a senior West Bengal Police officer said on condition of anonymity.

"We have recovered empty cartridges and live ammunition from the crime spot. At this stage, the motive behind the attack is not clear," the state DGP added.

Also read: "Recced For 2-3 Days": Suvendu Adhikari On Aide's "Pre-Planned Murder"

BJP Attacks Trinamool Congress

BJP leader Devdas Mondal accused the Trinamool Congress of killing an "innocent man". "We will identify the accused and bring them to justice," he told NDTV.

BJP leader Nikhil Prasun also blamed the party for the incident.

"This incident is symptomatic of the culture of violence prevalent all these years, cultivated by the Trinamool Congress. He has been brutally murdered. This should be thoroughly investigated. There is a deeper conspiracy behind the killing," he added.

Suvendu Adhikari described it as a "cold-blooded murder" and alleged that the killers had carried out reconnaissance before the attack.

"The incident is heart-wrenching; we condemn the incident. The way the attack was executed clearly suggests that the assailants had done a recce beforehand," he alleged.

The Trinamool Congress condemned the incident in a post on X.

The Bharatiya Janata Party scored a landslide victory in the West Bengal Assembly election, winning 207 of the state's 294 assembly seats and wresting power from the Trinamool Congress after the latter's three successive wins.

West Bengal Post-Poll Violence

West Bengal is notorious for political violence. A probe by the National Human Rights Commission into post-election violence in 2021 documented 1,900 crimes, including murders, assaults, arson and vandalism.

The Bengal police chief said on Wednesday that 200 FIRs had been registered and 433 arrests made in connection with post-poll violence since May 4.