Chandipur/Madhyamgram: Chandranath Rath, 38, studied at Rahara Ramakrishna Mission and served 18 years in the Indian Air Force before he started working for Suvendu Adhikari after the latter joined BJP. Rath, a soft-spoken man who always chose to remain in the background, seamlessly managed Adhikari’s office in his capacity as the Leader of the Opposition and Nandigram MLA.Rath maintained such a low profile that even his neighbours in the Madhyamgram high-rise were unaware that he was Adhikari’s close aide.An academically gifted individual, he cleared the Short Service Commission and opted for the IAF after completing his schooling at the residential school in Rahara. However, when Adhikari formally switched to the BJP, Rath chose to resign from IAF to work with him. Over the years, Rath became an integral part of Mohor Kunja — the Adhikari household in Contai. For everyone — from political leaders to journalists — Rath was the go-to person to reach Adhikari.“The IAF ex-serviceman might not have been killed had he not been my PA and had I not won from Bhowanipore. His only fault was that he was Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant. Five bullets were fired at him to ensure his death,” Adhikari told the media at Barasat State General Hospital, where the post-mortem examination of Rath’s body was conducted.It was not only Adhikari, even his younger brothers Dibyendu and Soumendu could not stop their tears at the sight of Rath’s hearse when it was taken to Chandipur. His native village is Kulup in Chandipur — the same place where his mortal remains were cremated late Thursday night.Rath moved to Madhyamgram in 2023 with his wife and teenage daughter and resided on the second floor of Block 13. Neighbours described him as a reclusive man who kept a very low profile. Sources said he was often seen taking his daughter to school. Even local BJP functionaries never knew he was a close aide to the party’s most visible face. He would leave home at odd hours depending on work requirements. Even on Wednesday, he left early in the morning, returned home, and left again in the evening. He returned only around the time Adhikari reached Kolaghat. He was also a regular visitor at the BJP office on Orphungunge Road in Bhowanipore.The victim’s maternal uncle, Koushik Das, revealed that Chandranath expressed fears for his life during his visit to Chandipur on Wednesday, when he spoke with him and his mother for the last time. “He told me he was receiving threats from two WhatsApp numbers and a Facebook page. I told him not to worry, thinking things would settle down,” Das said. He confirmed that the details of these threats had been shared with the police.Das alleged that the attack was meticulously planned. “We have lost a family member. This was a calculated hit, and we believe the top leadership of the opposition party is responsible,” he added, demanding an immediate investigation.
