“In the past decades, countless lives have been ruined due to political violence in the state. Now that the BJP has won, we should not talk about revenge, but about change. We should not talk about fear, but about the future.”
On the day the BJP won the West Bengal Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a speech, had referenced political violence in the state, calling for “badlav (change)”, not badla (revenge)”.
However, it appears that his words have been ignored, as violence reared its ugly head on the night of May 6, when unidentified men shot dead
Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, in West Bengal’s Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas.
Suvendu, who’s being considered as the frontrunner for the post of West Bengal chief minister, termed the incident a “cold-blooded murder”, demanding strict action against those involved.
As investigations try to determine who’s behind Rath’s murder, here’s a blow-by-blow account of what happened on the unfortunate night of May 6.
Rath’s car blocked, killers emerge on bikes
Two days after the BJP scored a stunning victory in West Bengal, trouncing the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), 41-year-old Chandranath Rath, the executive assistant of Suvendu Adhikari, was on his way home in Barasat.
He was being driven home in his Scorpio car around 10.30 pm on Wednesday and was around 200 metres away from his residence when his vehicle was intercepted near Doltala in Madhyamgram by another car.
As the Scorpio slowed down, motorcycle-borne men approached the left side of Rath’s vehicle and fired multiple rounds at close range. Rath was reportedly hit by three bullets — in the chest and abdomen — killing him on the spot. The SUV’s driver was also injured. Visuals show a massive bullet hole in the vehicle’s window.
After the shooting, the men in the car, which had blocked Rath’s Scorpio, fled the scene along with the shooters on their bikes.
Eyewitnesses have recounted the series of events leading to Rath’s death. One of them told news agency ANI that the attack was carried out at “point-blank range” by a bike-borne assailant. The witness said Rath’s car had just crossed his vehicle when it suddenly stopped on the road, and a man on a motorcycle opened fire from the left side of the SUV. “The person seemed to be an expert and fled immediately,” the eyewitness added, saying that he heard “the sound of two rounds” during the firing.
#WATCH | North 24 Parganas | An eyewitness says, “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 person seemed to be an expert… He fled immediately… It seemed that this was… https://t.co/0kAKzKZ5yW pic.twitter.com/R8i1dZkIxF
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2026
Another eyewitness told the media, “When I approached the car, I saw two people in the front. They were bleeding. One person in the rear seat was crying. Due to the rain, the stretch of the road that is generally busy was desolate. We arranged for the injured to be taken to the hospital. Then the police came. I helped them seize three cartridge shells from the spot. It is hard to believe that such an incident can take place.”
A doctor at the hospital confirmed that Suvendu’s assistant had been brought dead. “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.”
Fake number plate, waiting for target… The plan to kill Rath
Soon after Rath’s murder, the police arrived at the scene of the crime and began investigations.
Investigators have already found the white car that blocked Rath’s Scopio. However, West Bengal DGP Siddhinath Gupta pointed out that the car had a fake number plate. On investigation, they found that the number plate belonged to another vehicle owned by a Siliguri resident named William Joseph. Joseph reportedly informed police that his own car – a different model carrying the same registration number – was parked in his garage in Siliguri, nearly 557 kilometres away from Madhyamgram.
The police also note that the crime suggests extensive planning — the attackers reportedly waited at the scene of the murder for around 40 minutes.
The shellings at the scene have also indicated that the assailants used a small firearm, possibly an Austrian-made Glock pistol, according to an India Today report.
A police official also told News18 that the plot to kill Rath was well-planned and hatched. “The conspiracy was hatched over the last three days; it was planned and rehearsed. Chandranath Rath was followed, his schedule was closely monitored, and his movement marked,” the official was quoted as saying.
Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP leader, also indicated that it was a well-planned murder. “A lot of incidents have happened in nearby areas. Police are investigating the entire case. It’s a pre-planned murder. It’s a personal loss for me,” said Adhikari to reporters outside the hospital. “I appeal to all BJP workers to maintain peace. It’s a painful murder. Police have assured us of proper actions in the case,” he added.
He also told the media that the killers had carried out “recce for two to three days”.
Investigators are also probing whether those who shot Rath were contract killers.
A woman mourns her son’s death
Rath’s mother, meanwhile, was grief-stricken on hearing the news of his death. Hasirani Rath demanded that the culprits in her son’s death be sentenced to life imprisonment. “As a mother, I cannot seek death for anyone. But I will demand life imprisonment for the culprits,” she told TV channels.
Mother of Chandranath Rath: I want my son’s murderers to be punished. But because I’m a mother I don’t want them hanged, they should get life in prison
No baying for blood, just quiet dignified grief pic.twitter.com/FewkOVDHdS
— Padmaja Joshi (@PadmajaJoshi) May 7, 2026
The grieving mother also claimed the killing was a “revenge for Mamata Banerjee’s defeat in
Bhabanipur”. “I would not have been in so much pain had he died in an accident. He was responsible for the Nandigram and Bhabanipur elections, and that is why he was targeted,” she alleged in front of local TV channels.
TMC seeks a CBI probe
The TMC has condemned Rath’s killing and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident.
The TMC said, “We strongly condemn the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath in Madhyamgram tonight, along with the killing of three other TMC workers in incidents of post-poll violence allegedly carried out by BJP-backed miscreants over the last three days, despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force.”
It further said, “We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-monitored CBI investigation so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without delay. Violence and political killings have no place in a democracy, and the guilty must be held accountable at the earliest.”
With inputs from agencies
First Published:
May 07, 2026, 14:37 IST
End of Article
