BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh (L) was speaking to Chandranath Rath about upcoming party programmes when the call suddenly shot dead
Police said at least four assailants using two motorbikes and a silver hatchback intercepted Rath’s SUV barely 170 metres from his residence around 10.08pm on Wednesday. But the call snapped just as I could hear some faint noise. I called back and texted but there was no reply.
“I was talking to him about the programmes on Friday and Saturday. Someone else answered when I tried again and said Rath had been shot,” the Siliguri BJP MLA said on Thursday, recounting Rath’s chilling final moments.
Rath suffered three bullet injuries, two in the chest and one in the abdomen and died due to excessive blood loss and multiple organ failure, according to the post-mortem report.
Investigators said the sophisticated weapons used indicated the involvement of trained shooters. “One of the shooters placed his hand on the roof of the SUV, pressed the pistol against the window and fired repeatedly,” an investigator said. The hatchback used in the attack and one motorcycle have since been recovered, but police said both carried fake registration plates and scrubbed chassis numbers, suggesting a well-planned operation aimed at evading detection. Sushanta Sarkar, a local resident who rushed to the spot after hearing sounds resembling firecrackers, said he found Rath slumped in the front seat covered in blood.
Police recovered empty cartridges and live ammunition from the scene. A Special Investigation Team led by CID inspector-general Anup Jaiswal has been formed to probe the murder. Officers from the CID, Intelligence Branch, Special Task Force and Barasat district police are part of the SIT.