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Adhikari termed the killing a “cold-blooded murder” as police began probing the role of bike-borne attackers and a suspicious car.
Suvendu Adhikari rushed to the hospital shortly after his close aide Chandranath Rath succumbed to bullet injuries. (IMAGE: PTI)
West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday termed the killing of his close aide Chandranath Rath a “cold-blooded murder”, hours after the latter was shot dead in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district.
Speaking to reporters outside the hospital where Rath’s body was kept, Adhikari alleged that the attack was pre-planned and demanded strict action against those involved.
“It’s a cold-blooded murder,” the BJP leader said while reacting to the killing of his longtime associate, who had accompanied him through much of his political journey over the last decade.
Rath, who served as Adhikari’s personal assistant, was attacked late Wednesday night by unidentified bike and car-borne assailants. According to sources, at least eight attackers arriving on four motorcycles were involved in the shooting. All of them were allegedly wearing helmets.
Investigators are also probing the role of a car bearing a Siliguri registration code (WB 74), which allegedly intercepted Rath’s Scorpio moments before the firing. Soon after the vehicle slowed down, the attackers allegedly opened fire at close range before fleeing the spot.
Police said Rath sustained bullet injuries to his chest and abdomen. He was rushed to a hospital in Madhyamgram, where doctors declared him dead.
Pratim Sengupta, head of the hospital where Rath was taken, said he was brought dead and could not be revived despite CPR efforts.
Another person travelling with Rath, identified as Buddhadeb, also sustained multiple bullet injuries and was later referred to a Kolkata hospital for surgery. Hospital authorities said he remained conscious.
West Bengal Director General of Police (DGP) Siddh Nath Gupta later said investigators suspect the car used in the attack carried a fake registration number plate. Police are examining CCTV footage and tracing the movement of the vehicle as part of the investigation.
Senior BJP leaders, including Sukanta Majumdar and Arjun Singh, also reached the hospital after news of the killing emerged.
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