Hasirani Rath, mother of the deceased, breaks down as she alleges political conspiracy; police probe continues into the “cold-blooded” murder of the former IAF officer.
Kolkata, May 7, 2026: A day after the brutal murder of Chandranath Rath, the personal executive assistant to senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, his grieving mother Hasirani Rath has pointed an accusing finger at the outgoing Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. She has demanded the strictest punishment for the killers, asserting that the assassination was a direct result of the BJP’s thumping victory in the recently concluded West Bengal assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters in Chandipur on Thursday, a tearful Hasirani Rath refused to demand the death penalty for her son’s killers, instead asking for life imprisonment.
“I want the guilty to be punished. I am a mother, I do not want them to be hanged. I want life imprisonment for them,” she said. She alleged that the attack was not random but a targeted political killing. “They did this because the BJP came to power. This happened because Suvendu Babu defeated Mamata Banerjee,” she added, referencing Adhikari’s victory over the Chief Minister in her traditional stronghold of Bhabanipur.
The emotional appeal from the mother came as West Bengal remains on edge following the results declared earlier this week, which saw the BJP dislodge the TMC after 15 years of rule.
“A Pre-Planned, Cold-Blooded Murder”
Chandranath Rath, 42, a former Indian Air Force officer, was shot dead around 10:30 PM on Wednesday in the Madhyamgram area of North 24 Parganas district. Police reports indicate that the attack was highly coordinated. Rath was returning to his residence in a white Scorpio SUV when a car overtook his vehicle and blocked the road. Simultaneously, motorcycle-borne assailants wearing helmets pulled up beside his window and opened fire at point-blank range before fleeing the spot.
According to investigators, the assailants used sophisticated firearms, possibly Glock 47X pistols, and fired six to ten rounds. Rath suffered fatal gunshot wounds to his chest, abdomen, and head, while his driver, Buddhadeb Bera, was also injured and remains hospitalized.
Suvendu Adhikari, who visited the hospital where the post-mortem was conducted, termed the killing a “pre-planned and cold-blooded murder.” He revealed that police had found evidence of a recce conducted for two to three days prior to the attack.
“Police are working. I spoke with the DGP; they have leads, and some people have been rounded up. I am confident the police will be able to arrest the assailants,” Adhikari told reporters, expressing confidence in the investigation while appealing to BJP workers to maintain law and order.
Political Temperature Rises
The murder has dramatically escalated political tensions in the state. While the TMC has condemned the killing and demanded a CBI inquiry, BJP leaders have launched scathing attacks on the opposition.
BJP leader and former MP Arjun Singh directly accused TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee of orchestrating the murder. “Abhishek Banerjee has orchestrated this murder. They want to send a message that even though they are not in power, they are still a force to be reckoned with,” Singh alleged. The TMC has yet to officially respond to these specific allegations.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Police have formed multiple teams, seized a suspicious vehicle with a fake number plate used to block Rath’s car, and are scanning CCTV footage to track down the killers. DGP Siddhinath Gupta confirmed that forensic teams have recovered empty cartridges and live ammunition from the crime scene.
“He Had No Enmity”
As the political war of words intensifies, those who knew Chandranath Rath personally remember him as a gentle and dedicated professional.
“We were together in Chandipur. We had dinner together, then we left for Kolkata… He didn’t have any enmity with anyone. He was a very good person,” Rath’s neighbor Deb Kumar Jana told reporters, struggling to comprehend the violence.
Rath had been a trusted associate of Suvendu Adhikari for years, even accompanying him during his tenure in the TMC before switching to the BJP. His younger brother, Dev Kumar Rath, revealed that just hours before his death, Chandranath had visited their mother, who had cooked for him. When she asked him to come home soon, he replied that he was busy with the preparations for the upcoming oath-taking ceremony of the new BJP government.
With the BJP set to form the government on May 9, the focus now remains on whether the investigation will unravel the conspiracy behind the murder that has sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
