Five bullets were fired at Suvendu Adhikari's PA Chandranath Rath, one bullet stuck on his iPhone, said advocate Somraj Gangopadhyay while speaking to the media on Thursday. He said a total of six rounds of bullets were fired at him.
Unknown assailants on a bike chased and trapped Chandranath near Kolkata Airport before killing him on Wednesday night, May 6. Chandranath, a former Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and PA of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was travelling to his home in Michaelnagar, Madhyamgram, at around 10.20 pm when he was ambushed by unknown assailants.
According to the information, Chandranath was chased on Jessore Road for nearly 3 kms form the airport. As per the initial investigation and eyewitness, eight armed miscreants on four bikes allegedly followed Chandranath's Scorpio soon after he came out of the airport area.
Near Doharia Chowk, a small four-wheeler vehicle surprisingly came in front of Chandranath's Scorpio, leading his driver to stop the vehicle. A few seconds later, four assailants with guns on two bikes pulled up alongside the car and opened fire at Chandra Nath.
Also Read | Who Was Chandranath Rath? From Indian Air Force Veteran To Suvendu Adhikari’s PA.
Chandranath suffered serious bullet injuries to his chest and stomach. "He was hit by five bullets and one in his iPhone. A total of six bullets were fired," advocate Somraj Gangopadhyay said. His driver, Buddhadeb Bera, was hit in the chest, abdomen and leg. None of the attackers was wearing a helmet and fled the spot immediately after firing.
Local people rushed Adhikari PA and Bera to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Chandranath brought dead. Bera was later shifted to another hospital for further treatment. Hospital doctor Pratim Sengupta Chandranath, before reaching the hospital, while his driver Bera was referred elsewhere.
"Just as Chandra's car crossed mine, it suddenly stopped mid-way and a bike-borne person came and started shooting on the left side of the car... The person seemed to be an expert... He fled immediately... It seemed that this was pre-planned... The shots were fired at point-blank range... I heard the sound of 2 rounds... This incident occurred between 10.30 PM and 11 PM... The incident occurred 200-300 metres from the hospital... The public brought the victim to the hospital and the driver of the car was also shot," an eyewitness narrated the scene.
Senior West Bengal Police team reached the spot soon after receiving the information, and the area has since been cordoned off for forensic examination. Police said CCTV footage from the area shows bike-borne suspects fleeing the spot and investigators are trying to identify them.
A senior police officer said that the target was Chandranath, adding that all angles, including political and personal motives, are being examined. Calling the murder “cold-blooded” and “meticulously planned”, Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the attackers had conducted a recce for days before carrying out the ambush.
“This is a pre-planned murder. A recce was done for two to three days before the attack was executed,” Adhikari said, while urging BJP workers not to retaliate or take the law into their own hands. He said senior BJP leaders, including Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, had spoken to the victim’s family and assured them of full support. “We will stand beside the family and ensure justice,” Adhikari added.