Chandra Nath Rath, personal assistant to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas district, on 06 May 2026. He was declared brought dead at a nearby hospital.
What Happened
At least 2 assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on Rath at close range in Madhyamgram, a locality near Kolkata in North 24 Parganas district. Rath sustained gunshot wounds to his upper body. No bystanders were injured.
West Bengal Police recovered 2 spent cartridges from the scene. A First Information Report was registered at Madhyamgram Police Station under Indian Penal Code sections covering murder and the Arms Act. North 24 Parganas district police assembled a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of 4 officers within hours of the attack.
“This is a targeted political murder. The Trinamool Congress government has turned Bengal into a killing field. I demand the CBI take over this investigation immediately.”
Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition, West Bengal Legislative Assembly · Press statement · 06 May 2026
Political Fallout
Adhikari, a two-term Member of the Legislative Assembly from Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, blamed the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) for the killing. The AITC-led West Bengal government issued no formal response as of publication time.
Adhikari has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. The BJP has called a district-level bandh in North 24 Parganas on 07 May 2026 in protest.
West Bengal recorded 11 politically linked killings in South 24 Parganas alone in 2025, according to West Bengal Police crime statistics published in January 2026. The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the West Bengal government on at least 3 occasions since 2021 over political violence complaints.
ℹ️ Background: Adhikari and West Bengal Political Violence
- Suvendu Adhikari defected from AITC to BJP in December 2020 and defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 state assembly election.
- North 24 Parganas, bordering Kolkata, has recorded repeated incidents of political violence in recent election cycles.
- BJP has repeatedly demanded CBI supervision of political crime cases in West Bengal; the state government has consistently opposed CBI intervention.
What Happens Next
The North 24 Parganas Superintendent of Police was expected to brief media by the evening of 06 May 2026. Adhikari’s letter to Home Minister Shah requests a CBI response within 48 hours. The BJP-called bandh in North 24 Parganas is scheduled for 07 May 2026.
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