First CCTV Footage Shows Attack On Suvendu Adhikari’s Aide Chandranath Rath - Ex-Air Force Veteran Shot Dead

Violence around elections in West Bengal is not new, but recent developments suggest the situation has become more serious. The killing of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Suvendu Adhikari, has added to concerns.

While the investigation is still underway, what makes the incident particularly troubling is that Rath was a former Army veteran.

Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and a former Indian Air Force officer, was shot dead in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday night, triggering strong political reactions across West Bengal and fresh allegations of post-poll violence just days after the assembly election results were announced.

First CCTV Footage Out!

First cctv footage of attack on Chadranath is out, watch.

Investigators said motorcycle-borne shooters allegedly ambushed Rath's SUV near Doharia around 10.30 pm, barely three kilometres from Kolkata airport, fired several rounds from close range, and escaped within seconds, leaving Rath fatally injured and aide Buddhadeb Bera critically wounded on a largely deserted stretch near Jessore Road.

Suvendu Adhikari aide killing: timeline and key attack details

Police sources said another vehicle first blocked Rath's Scorpio, forcing it to slow on the dark stretch, before the armed riders surrounded the SUV and opened fire at point-blank range, targeting the front seats and shattering the glass, while eyewitnesses later described the operation as "pre-planned" and executed with apparent professional precision.

Rath suffered bullet wounds to the chest and abdomen and was rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared Rath brought dead, while Bera, who was driving the vehicle during the attack, sustained serious injuries and remains under treatment under tight security, according to officials familiar with the case.

Key detail Information:

• Victim: Chandranath Rath, 41
• Political link : Close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari
• Location : Doharia, North 24 Parganas, near Jessore Road
• Time of attack : Around 10.30 pm
• Distance : About three kilometres from Kolkata airport
• Companion: Aide Buddhadeb Bera, seriously injured

Suvendu Adhikari aide killing: police probe and forensic clues

West Bengal Police deployed additional forces across Madhyamgram, Doharia and nearby zones on Thursday as BJP supporters held demonstrations demanding swift arrests, while multiple police teams began analysing CCTV footage from the vicinity and carried out raids at several locations to identify and track the suspected assailants.

Officers recovered live rounds and spent cartridges from the spot and also seized a vehicle believed to have been used during the operation, though officials said the number plate on the car appeared fake or tampered with, suggesting a deliberate attempt to conceal the attackers' route and identity.

Suvendu Adhikari aide killing: political reactions and demands for probe

The killing, which came less than 48 hours after the state poll results, deepened tensions between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, with leaders trading accusations over post-election violence and both parties citing the incident to question law and order arrangements across West Bengal.

Describing the shooting as a "cold-blooded and pre-planned murder", Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the attackers had conducted reconnaissance of Rath's route before the ambush and said, "This is the result of 15 years of Mahajungle Raj in Bengal," while also urging BJP workers not to respond with any unlawful acts.

The Trinamool Congress condemned the killing and called for a court-monitored CBI investigation into the case, saying an independent inquiry would be needed to address public concerns, even as the state government faced renewed scrutiny over security for political workers after the bitterly contested assembly elections.

The incident also revived debate on political tensions, with one public poll asking, "Which factor do you think contributes more to political tensions? Inter-party rivalry and conflict. Challenges in maintaining law and order," reflecting wider discussions about clashes and governance in the state.

Suvendu Adhikari aide killing: Rath's role in BJP and earlier political links

Rath formally joined Adhikari's official team around 2019, when Adhikari served as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, initially handling administrative tasks linked to the ministerial office and later continuing in a similar coordination role after Adhikari moved from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP in 2020.

Within the BJP, Rath gradually became a key backroom organiser in Adhikari's political network, managing logistics, monitoring communication with party workers and legislators, and coordinating campaign schedules, with party insiders saying Rath enjoyed Adhikari's complete trust and was often given sensitive election-related responsibilities.

Rath was part of Adhikari's core group during several high-profile contests, including the BJP's Bhabanipur campaign, and some party members had speculated that Rath might receive a larger administrative position if Adhikari secured a more prominent role in government after the assembly polls, discussions that ended abruptly with Wednesday night's attack.

Suvendu Adhikari aide killing: family background, education and Air Force career

Born in Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district, Rath came from the same region long linked with Adhikari's political ascent, and family acquaintances said the bond between the Rath family and the Adhikari family stretched back over two decades, shaping both personal and political ties.

Sources close to the family told PTI that the Raths, like Adhikari's family, were earlier associated with the All India Trinamool Congress during its growth in Purba Medinipur, and that Rath's mother, Hasi Rath, had reportedly held a post in a local panchayat body during the Trinamool Congress's early phase before shifting to the BJP with Adhikari in 2020.

Before entering politics, Rath studied at Rahara Ramakrishna Mission, where acquaintances said Rath was strongly influenced by the institution's disciplined and spiritual culture, to the point that Rath once considered adopting a spiritual life, though that path later gave way to a career in uniform and then public affairs.

Rath subsequently joined the Indian Air Force and served for nearly 20 years before taking voluntary retirement, after which Rath briefly worked in the corporate sector and then moved gradually into political coordination and organisational work around Adhikari, all while staying soft-spoken and largely out of the public spotlight despite working in the inner circle.

The killing of Chandranath Rath has left a key gap in Suvendu Adhikari's team and added another flashpoint to the continuing dispute over post-poll violence in West Bengal, as investigators pursue the attackers and political parties trade charges while awaiting clearer answers from the ongoing police and forensic inquiries.