Suvendu Adhikari’s Aide Shot Dead in Suspected Targeted Attack in Bengal

Kolkata, May 2026 : In a shocking incident that has triggered political outrage in West Bengal, Chandranath Rath, a close aide and personal assistant to outgoing Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead late on Wednesday night in Madhyamgram of North 24 Parganas district while returning home from a party programme.

According to BJP leaders, Rath was travelling in a vehicle along with another party worker, Buddhadeb Bera, when unidentified assailants allegedly intercepted their car near the busy Doharia crossing and opened indiscriminate fire.

Newly elected BJP MLA and senior Calcutta High Court advocate Kaustav Bagchi confirmed the incident and alleged that Rath’s vehicle had been tailed for a considerable distance before the attack.

“As the vehicle reached the crossing, another car overtook and blocked its path. A group of armed men came out and fired multiple rounds at close range,” Bagchi claimed while speaking to reporters outside the hospital.

Rath sustained multiple bullet injuries to the head, chest and abdomen. He was immediately rushed to Viva City Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Buddhadeb Bera, who was travelling with Rath, also suffered serious gunshot injuries and remains under treatment at the hospital. Hospital sources said his condition is critical.

The brutal killing has sparked allegations of political conspiracy from the BJP, with party leaders demanding an immediate and impartial investigation into the incident.

Bagchi, who reached the hospital soon after the shooting, alleged that the attack appeared to be a “well-planned assassination” targeting individuals closely associated with Suvendu Adhikari.

Sources said Adhikari was informed about the incident shortly after the attack and was on his way to the hospital to meet the injured and speak with party leaders.

Both Rath and Bera were considered key members of Adhikari’s core political team and had played active roles in managing his election campaign in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, where Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

Police officials have launched an investigation into the killing. Senior officers reached the crime scene soon after the incident and began collecting evidence.

According to police sources, the manner in which the attack was carried out suggests that it may have been pre-planned. Investigators are examining CCTV footage from nearby areas and trying to identify eyewitnesses who may help trace the attackers and the vehicle used in the crime.

The incident has intensified political tensions in the state, with BJP leaders accusing the administration of failing to maintain law and order and demanding strict action against those responsible for the attack.