Chilling CCTV Footage Shows Moments Before Suvendu Adhikari Aide Chandranath Rath Shot Dead

New Delhi: CCTV footage accessed by Republic has captured the chilling moments before BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s close aide Chandranath Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram. 

In the clip, a white Scorpio SUV, reportedly the vehicle in which Rath was travelling, can be seen passing through a narrow lane around 9:58 pm, nearly 20 minutes before the fatal attack took place. 

According to reports, Rath was on his way home when assailants allegedly intercepted the SUV barely 60 metres from his residence and opened fire at point-blank range. Investigators suspect the murder was meticulously planned, with BJP leaders alleging that the attackers had conducted a recce for two to three days before carrying out the killing. Multiple CCTV footages from the area are now being examined by CID officials and forensic teams as part of the ongoing probe.

Who Was Chandranath Rath?

Born on August 11, 1984, in Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district, Chandranath Rath shared a long association with Suvendu Adhikari that went back to the late 1990s, when both Rath and Adhikari families were linked to the Trinamool Congress.

His mother, Hasi Rath, had served as chief executive of the Panchayat Samiti and later joined the BJP along with Suvendu Adhikari in 2020.

After studying at Ramakrishna Mission, Chandranath joined the Indian Air Force through short service commission. Family members said that he had originally wanted to become a monk before eventually choosing a career with Indian armed forces. 

Following his voluntary retirement from the Air Force, he joined the corporate sector before returning to public life alongside Suvendu Adhikari.

In 2019, when Suvendu became a minister in the West Bengal government, Chandranath officially joined him as an assistant in the Water Resources Department. When Adhikari shifted from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP, Chandranath continued to remain by his side and eventually became one of the most influential figures in his office.

He handled several important organisational responsibilities and was also involved in managing election operations during the 2026 election Bhabanipur campaign. Within BJP circles, Chandranath was widely seen as Suvendu Adhikari’s most trusted aide and constant companion, a man many described as his ‘shadow partner’. 

Sources said multiple bullets struck Rath in the chest, abdomen and head. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His driver, Buddhadeb, was also injured in the firing and remains under treatment.

Investigators suspect the murder was meticulously planned. Sources earlier revealed that the vehicle allegedly used by the attackers had been purchased through OLX and carried a fake number plate. Police also suspect Rath was followed by two vehicles before the shooting.

The CID, forensic experts and senior police officials are currently examining CCTV footage, recovered cartridges and seized vehicles connected to the case. One person has reportedly been taken into custody for questioning.

Eyewitness Describes ‘Point-Blank’ Shooting

Calling the murder carefully ‘planned’, an eyewitness told ANI, “Just as Chandra's car crossed mine, it suddenly stopped midway, and a bike-borne person came and started shooting on the left side of the car. The person seemed to be an expert and fled immediately. It appeared to be pre-planned. The shots were fired at point-blank range."

The witness said the incident took place between 10:30 PM and 11 PM, around 200-300 metres from the hospital. He added that locals rushed the victims to the hospital immediately after the firing.

Police believe the attackers had conducted recce before the committing the crime and carefully chosen the location because of multiple escape routes in the area.CCTV footage from nearby electric poles and residential buildings is being examined to trace the suspects’ movements before and after the shooting.

Vehicle With Fake Number Plate Seized, Cartridges Recovered

A car bearing registration number WB 74 AK 2270 is now central to the investigation. Police suspect the number plate had been tampered with.  West Bengal Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta said that police had seized a four-wheeler connected to the crime. He also informed that the investigation had already begun and key evidence had been recovered from the crime scene.

“We have initiated an investigation into the case. The vehicle bore a fake number plate, and we have recovered live cartridges. We are advancing the investigation through CCTV footage and technical surveillance,” the DGP said. Police officials are now trying to trace where the attackers began following Chandranath’s vehicle and how they escaped after the firing.

BJP Calls It ‘Planned Political Assassination’

Furious Suvendu Adhikari, who reached the hospital soon after the news of his aide Chandranath being shot, termed the murder a ‘cold-blooded and pre-planned’ killing and alleged there was a political conspiracy behind the attack.

“A recce was done for two to three days and the murder was fully planned. This is the result of 15 years of Maha-Jungle Raj,” Adhikari said.

He added that BJP workers should maintain peace and not take the law into their own hands. "Police will identify the culprits very soon. We will ensure that the culprits would be brought to justice. Once we form the government, action will begin against all the goons,” he said.

TMC Condemns Murder of Suvendu's PA

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) issued a statement shortly after the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath. Condeming the murder, the party demanded “strongest” action in the matter.

In a post on X, 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.”

“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,” the party added.

Abhishek Banerjee’s 'After May 4' Threat Resurfaces

A week after Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee issued a sharp warning to BJP workers during a public rally, his remarks have resurfaced online following the killing of West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s close aide Chandra near Madhyamgram.

The murder, which BJP leaders have termed a “pre-planned political assassination,” has intensified the political confrontation in West Bengal, with opposition leaders linking the incident to the increasingly aggressive political rhetoric witnessed during the election campaign.

At the centre of the controversy is a viral speech delivered by Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in which he openly warned BJP workers ahead of the election results.

“I spared you last time, this time I take full responsibility. After May 4, I’ll see whose father comes from Delhi to save you,” Abhishek Banerjee had said during the rally.

Another portion of the speech, now widely circulating on social media following the murder, quoted him as saying:

“After May 4, I’ll personally see how much power these executioners have, and whose father comes from Delhi to save you.”

The remarks have now come under renewed scrutiny after unidentified assailants shot dead Chandra, a key member of Suvendu Adhikari’s political team, in what eyewitnesses described as a “point-blank” and “pre-planned” attack near Madhyamgram.