Suvendu Adhikari had lost former PA, bodyguard in 2013, 2018
What's the story
Chandranath Rath, a close aide of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in a "pre-planned" ambush in Madhyamgram on the outskirts of Kolkata on Wednesday night. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Adhikari said Rath was killed because he was his aide and that he had defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur. "I stand with his family, and the family's demand is to apprehend those who committed this murder and ensure they are punished," he said.
Unsolved cases
2013: Adhikari's PA found unconscious
This isn't the first time Adhikari has lost close aides. In 2013, Pradip Jha, a former personal assistant of Adhikari, was found unconscious on Kolkata's Strand Road and later declared dead on arrival at Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. At the time, Adhikari was with the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He suspected foul play in Jha's death and demanded a thorough investigation. The case remains unsolved to date.
Unresolved mystery
2018: Bodyguard died of gunshot wound
Then in 2018, Subhabrata Chakraborty, a bodyguard of Adhikari since 2009, was found with a gunshot wound inside the police barracks located opposite the leader's residence in Kanthi, Purba Medinipur district. At the time, Adhikari was still with the TMC. Initially ruled as suicide due to a service revolver being found nearby and a suicide note recovered from his pocket, Chakraborty's wife later alleged murder. This case remains unresolved too.
Ongoing unrest
Rath's murder amid post-poll violence in Bengal
Rath's killing comes amid a wave of post-poll violence in West Bengal, which has continued even after the BJP's victory. Reports of clashes, intimidation, arson and targeted attacks have emerged since the results were declared on May 4. Both the BJP and the TMC have accused each other of orchestrating reprisals.