From IAF To Suvendu Adhikari’s Most-Trusted 'Shadow': Who Was Chandranath Rath Assassinated In Bengal’s Madhyamgram?

Madhyamgram: West Bengal witnessed a major escalation in post-poll violence on Wednesday night after Chandranath Rath, the close aide and personal assistant of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead near Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas.

The killing, which BJP leaders called a ‘targeted political assassination’, has triggered a sharp political confrontation between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), with both sides demanding action and accusing each other over the heinous crime and deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

Chandranath, a former Indian Air Force serviceman and one of Suvendu Adhikari’s closest associates (worked alongside him since his Trinamool Congress days) was on his way to Barasat after leaving Adhikari’s convoy when the attack took place. According to BJP leaders and eyewitnesses, bike-borne assailants followed his vehicle, blocked it on the road and opened fire at point-blank range. Four to five rounds were fired, with multiple bullets hitting Chandranath in the chest and head. 

His driver, Buddhadeb Bera, was also shot and remains critically injured. Chandranath was rushed to Madhyamgram Vivacity Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

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’. 

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.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said the DGP had personally visited the spot and assured that ‘no one will be spared’. He called the incident ‘very sad’ and said that the police investigation had made ‘significant progress’. “As soon as our Chief Minister takes oath and our government assumes power, everything will be set right,” he said.

BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta too termed the killing a ‘pre-planned political assassination’ and alleged it was an act of political revenge after the election results. “Chandra was at the heart of Suvendu Adhikari’s political office. They knew his importance, his route, and planned accordingly,” Dasgupta said.

BJP leader Naveen Mishra also claimed that the party had anticipated such violence after the election results and alleged the murder was part of a ‘larger conspiracy’. Meanwhile, BJP leader Sajal Ghosh said that Chandranath ‘had no enemies’ and was targeted only because he worked closely with Suvendu Adhikari.

TMC Condemns Killing, Seeks CBI Probe

The Trinamool Congress condemned the murder and demanded a court-monitored CBI investigation into the incident. In a statement, the party also referred to the deaths of three TMC workers in separate incidents of post-poll violence and said that all those responsible for political killings must be punished.

“Violence and political killings have no place in a democracy and the guilty must be held accountable at the earliest,” the TMC said in its statement on X.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale also condemned the killing, calling it a ‘cowardly act’ and an 'assault on democracy', while urging people not to spread rumours and to maintain peace.

Also Read: ‘Shooter Came On Bike, Car Was Blocked, Bullets Rained’: Eyewitness Reveals Chilling Details Of Suvendu Key Aide's Murder