THE ₹2-CRORE MURDER QUESTION: SUVENDU ADHIKARI CHALLENGES TMC OVER UNRESOLVED LINKS IN CHANDRANATH RATH CASE
October 28, 2026
KOLKATA, OCTOBER 28, 2026 — West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has intensified his political attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the murder of his former aide Chandranath Rath, publicly questioning who allegedly financed a ₹2-crore contract killing. Referring pointedly to Camac Street, Kalighat and Diamond Harbour, Adhikari suggested that investigators must establish the source of the alleged payment before the case can be considered complete.
His remarks, delivered at the West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday following the swearing-in of two newly elected BJP legislators, have brought the politically sensitive murder investigation back into the centre of the state's political debate.
“The CBI has arrested seven people, including the shooters and contract killers,” Adhikari said, adding that the remaining question was where the alleged ₹2-crore supari had originated. In the language of Indian crime reporting, supari refers to money allegedly paid to commission a killing.
The chief minister's remarks were an allegation, not an established finding about who ordered or financed the murder. The identity of any alleged mastermind and the source of the money remain matters for investigators and the courts.
THREE LOCATIONS, A POLITICAL MESSAGE
Adhikari's reference to Camac Street, Kalighat and Diamond Harbour carried unmistakable political implications. Camac Street is associated with the office of TMC national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee; Kalighat is associated with former chief minister Mamata Banerjee's residence; and Diamond Harbour is the parliamentary constituency represented by Abhishek Banerjee.
By naming the three locations in the form of a question, Adhikari directed suspicion towards the TMC leadership without establishing publicly that any individual associated with those places had financed the crime.
The distinction is consequential. A political leader's allegation, even when delivered by the head of a state government, is not equivalent to evidence proving criminal responsibility. The investigation must establish whether there was a conspiracy, who participated in it and whether any alleged payment can be traced to its source.
The TMC's position and any evidence presented by the accused will need to be assessed through the appropriate legal process. No individual should be regarded as guilty merely because their name, office or constituency has been invoked in a political accusation.
A MURDER THAT SHOCKED BENGAL
Chandranath Rath, who served as Adhikari's personal assistant, was shot dead in Madhyamgram in North 24-Parganas district on the night of May 6, 2026, shortly after the BJP's victory in the West Bengal Assembly election.
Rath was travelling in an SUV when the vehicle was reportedly intercepted and assailants opened fire through its window. The attack was swift and deadly, leaving Rath fatally wounded.
The timing of the murder, coming just days after the election results and during a major political transition in Bengal, intensified public scrutiny. Rath's close association with Adhikari became a central feature of the political response, with the BJP alleging that the killing was connected to his relationship with the leader.
Adhikari has maintained that his former aide was targeted because of that association. However, the precise motive and the identity of those who ultimately ordered the killing must be established through evidence rather than political inference.
The murder has since developed into a major criminal investigation involving the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
INVESTIGATION AND THE QUESTION OF THE ALLEGED MASTERMIND
The CBI has arrested individuals in connection with the case, including people suspected of carrying out the shooting and others allegedly involved in the conspiracy. The agency has also filed a chargesheet naming multiple accused, according to earlier reporting on the investigation.
Adhikari's latest remarks focus on a question distinct from identifying the alleged shooters: who commissioned the crime and where did the money purportedly offered for it come from?
Establishing the chain of responsibility in an alleged contract killing requires investigators to examine communications, financial transactions, movements of suspects and other corroborating evidence. Arrests may help establish the roles of individuals suspected of direct involvement, but they do not automatically establish the identity of whoever may have ordered or financed the crime.
The chief minister said the source of the alleged ₹2-crore payment was the outstanding issue that needed to be resolved. His statement places renewed public pressure on the investigation, although the agency's findings and the judicial process—not political declarations—will determine what can ultimately be proved.
HASIRANI RATH TAKES OATH AS BJP MLA
Adhikari made his comments after Hasirani Rath, Chandranath Rath's mother, was sworn in as a BJP legislator following her victory in the Nandigram by-election. Shakharav Sarkar, who won the Rejinagar by-election, also took the oath of office.
Hasirani Rath's entry into the Assembly gives the bereaved family a direct presence in the state's political institutions. Her electoral victory also provides the BJP with an opportunity to keep public attention focused on the investigation into her son's death.
Adhikari said he intended to fulfil his commitments to the people of Nandigram through the newly elected legislator. He acknowledged that some constituents had been unhappy with his decision to vacate the constituency after retaining Bhabanipur, but argued that his political calculations had required him to make that choice.
He also criticised Mamata Banerjee, whom he had defeated in Bhabanipur, suggesting that she should withdraw from electoral politics. His comments formed part of a broader attack on the opposition following the BJP's victories in the two by-elections.
BJP SEEKS TO BROADEN ITS ELECTORAL MESSAGE
The two by-election results have given the BJP an opportunity to project its political reach beyond its traditional strongholds. Adhikari cited the results in Nandigram and Rejinagar to argue that his party could attract voters across different social and religious communities.
In discussing Rejinagar, a constituency with a substantial Muslim population, he referred to beneficiaries of the Annapurna welfare scheme and argued that government assistance and development could influence electoral choices across community lines.
He rejected the charge that the BJP's politics was inherently hostile to minorities, asserting that his government would prioritise public needs in its administration.
These claims are part of the BJP's political interpretation of the results. The extent to which welfare policies, candidate selection, local issues and other factors shaped voting behaviour requires a broader assessment than election margins alone can provide.
JUSTICE MUST BE SEPARATED FROM POLITICAL ACCUSATION
The Chandranath Rath case now stands at the intersection of criminal investigation, public demands for accountability and an increasingly confrontational political atmosphere.
For Rath's family, the central concern remains the establishment of the truth and the punishment of those legally proved responsible. For investigators, the challenge is to determine the complete chain of events, including whether the killing was commissioned, how it was organised and whether the alleged payment can be traced to its origin.
For the state's political parties, the case has become a powerful instrument of accusation and counter-accusation. Adhikari's remarks place the TMC leadership under renewed political pressure, but they do not themselves establish the involvement of any named individual.
The crucial question is therefore not merely who has been arrested, but whether the available evidence can establish who planned, financed and ordered the murder.
Until that question is answered through a credible investigation and tested in court, the alleged ₹2-crore payment will remain a central unresolved issue—and the political controversy surrounding Chandranath Rath's killing is likely to continue.
