Overview
- Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in Madhyamgram on Wednesday night near his home, with driver Buddhadeb Bera critically injured and fellow occupant Montu Mondal unharmed.
- Following Saturday fieldwork in Uttar Pradesh, CID teams questioned people in Badaun and Sambhal tied to phone leads but reported no arrests, though police later said a few detainees were in custody.
- Investigators say the killing bears hallmarks of a contract hit by seven to eight operatives who coordinated via a WhatsApp group, ran prior surveillance, and knew exactly where Rath sat inside the SUV, finishing the attack in under a minute.
- Vehicles linked to the ambush carried fake number plates, an abandoned Nissan Micra was wiped of fingerprints, and two motorbikes were found near Barasat rail gate and the Kolkata airport with bogus or tampered registration details.
- Teams are combing CCTV and mobile tower call-dump data, probing a Siliguri registration tied to a UP inquiry, questioning survivor Montu for timeline and calls, and widening the search to Odisha and Bihar as the motive remains unclear.