Hitmen likely killed Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, and carried out a meticulously planned crime in less than a minute, police investigators said on Thursday.
The use of multiple vehicles, false license plates and chassis numbers, a clearly targeted killing through the tinted window glass of Rath’s car, and an operation that lasted only about 50 seconds – all evidence pointed to a premeditated murder, said one investigator, who requested to remain anonymous.
Three people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder, which has sent shockwaves across the state, bracing for an unstable transition of power after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ousted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) – which had been in power for 15 years – earlier this week. Adhikari is the front-runner for the prime minister’s post.
Rath was shot dead late on Wednesday night at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas, about 7 km north of the NSCBI airport while he was on his way home in an SUV.
Two vehicles, a hatchback and a two-wheeler, used by the killers were seized. While the car was found at the crime spot, after being abandoned by the killers, the two-wheeler was found in Madhyamgram, about five kilometers away.
“A special investigation team has been formed. The investigation is ongoing. Some people are being interrogated,” a police officer said.
A resident told the media: “Three people wearing helmets were waiting with two motorcycles in a dark lane next to a filling station in Dohria lane. When the white Rath Scorpio arrived, another vehicle (a Nissan Micra hatchback) approached from the opposite direction and blocked the road. Then the trio got out of the lane and started shooting at the Rath’s car, after which they fled on the two motorcycles in opposite directions, abandoning the car.”
The police collected footage from surveillance cameras installed in some residential buildings located in the area. Initial investigations indicate that the entire operation took place between 10:08:50 PM and 10:09:40 PM. It only lasted about 50 seconds.
While Rath was hit by five bullets and probably died instantly, his driver Buddhadeb Bera was hit by three bullets. A third BJP worker, identified as Mintu, was sitting in the back seat. BJP sources said he escaped unhurt.
“After the killers fled, local residents rushed to the scene and pulled Rath and Bera out of the front seats. Mintu was crying and was in a state of shock. Later, Mintu drove the Scorpio car, with Rath and Bera in the back seat, and reached the local hospital. “Rath was declared dead on arrival,” another resident said.
Police said at least ten shots were fired, and they were both shot at close range. Initial investigations indicate that only one person opened fire. He shot through the tinted glass window of the car.
A doctor who treated Berra said, “It was around 10:15 p.m. when the two were taken to the hospital. Rath had five bullet wounds in his body – three near his chest, one in his arm, and the fourth in his back. Berra had three bullet wounds. Rath was dead by the time he was taken to the hospital. Berra’s condition stabilized and he was later transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City.”
Meanwhile, Adhikari on Thursday claimed that the killing of his personal aide, Chandranath Rath, was a “premeditated murder” linked to his political association with him. Adhikari claimed that Rath, a former Indian Air Force soldier, was targeted because he worked closely with him.
The Transitional Military Council condemned the incident and demanded a court-supervised investigation by the Central Bank of Iraq.
The Transitional Military Council said in a statement: “We demand the strongest possible action in this matter, including a court-supervised investigation by the Central Bank of Iraq so that those responsible are identified and brought to justice without delay. Violence and political killing have no place in any democratic state and the guilty must be held accountable as soon as possible.”
