WB Police Suspect A Gang Of 7 Killed PA Of Suvendu
Several teams of cops have been sent outside the state to trace the hired sharp-shooters. The destinations include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. However, the motive behind the killing has also been shrouded in mystery.
Kolkata: Two days after the murder of BJP heavyweight and chief minister designate Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant Chandranath Rath at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas of West Bengal, the state police has launched a hunt for a gang of around seven contract-killers who carried out the shooting. No one has been arrested in the case so far.
Several teams of cops have been sent outside the state to trace the hired sharp-shooters. The destinations include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. However, the motive behind the killing has also been shrouded in mystery. Meanwhile, two motorcycles and a car, which were used in following Rath's car and in the shooting at Doharia of Madhyamgram, were seized by the police.
Surprisingly, number plates of two among them, the car and a two-wheeler, were found fake. The investigators suspect that the assailants conducted a recce of Mr Rath for at least a month in the past and may have indirectly obtained information on his whereabouts from someone close to him to plan his elimination.
The cops have also detained some people for questioning to get clues. Preliminary investigations revealed that Rath had left Nizam Palace on AJC Bose Road in South Kolkata on May 6 night and was heading towards his residence. Earlier on that day, he visited the state Assembly for some work.
According to sources, the Kolkata Police checked the CCTV cameras installed outside the Assembly entrance to ascertain if he was being shadowed by anyone anyway. Sources added that the car, which was found abandoned by the assailants at the scene of crime after the shooting at Doharia, was spotted at Nimta in North 24-Parganas in the evening.
The distance between the two locations is about a few kms. This suggested the accused were on the move in the area, waiting for the arrival of Rath there. Meanwhile, Buddhadeb Bera, the victim's car driver, who was also shot at, has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital off EM Bypass. His condition has been stable.