Bengal logs zero political killings on paper, ground reality differs
What's the story
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has recorded zero political killings in West Bengal since 2022. This is a stark contrast to the 47 political murders reported between 2014 and 2021. The discrepancy raises questions about the accuracy of official data, especially with several incidents of political violence occurring in recent years.
Unreported incidents
Birbhum massacre and panchayat election violence
As per NDTV, the Birbhum (Bogtui) massacre in 2022, where at least 10 were killed after houses were torched in revenge for a local political leader's murder, went unrecorded by the NCRB. The panchayat elections in 2023 were also marred by violence, claiming over 40 lives. Despite the scale of these incidents, official records still show zero political killings.
Unreported deaths
Election-related violence in 2024
The pattern continued in 2024 when election-related violence claimed five to six lives, according to media reports. However, NCRB data still recorded zero political killings for that year. This discrepancy between ground realities and official records continues to raise concerns about how such crimes are documented in West Bengal and points to a pattern rather than an anomaly.
Unresolved concerns
Assassination of Suvendu Adhikari's aide
The recent assassination of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari, has once again brought the issue of political killings in West Bengal to the fore. Rath was shot dead at point-blank range in North 24 Parganas days after the 2026 election results were declared. His killing is among the most high-profile political murders in recent years.