Now Reading: Adhikari says Bhaipo gang spent Rs 2 crore on aide murder
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Adhikari says Bhaipo gang spent Rs 2 crore on aide murder
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that the 'Bhaipo gang', a term he uses for followers of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, arranged Rs 2 crore for the murder of his…
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that the 'Bhaipo gang', a term he uses for followers of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, arranged Rs 2 crore for the murder of his personal assistant Chandranath Rath. Adhikari made the claim on Tuesday while accompanying Rath's mother Hasirani Rath to file her nomination as the BJP candidate for the Nandigram bypoll.
Adhikari said the CBI has arrested and charge-sheeted 11 suspects, including brothers Sagar and Sahib Sonkar. He claimed investigators found phone call records from Diamond Harbour and traced a money courier. The CBI's chargesheet, however, details a financial trail of Rs 30 lakh, not Rs 2 crore, and does not establish a direct link to Abhishek Banerjee, according to National Herald India. The CBI has said it is probing possible political links.
Rath was shot dead on May 6, two days after the BJP won the assembly elections. The Nandigram bypoll is scheduled for October 6, with the last date for filing nominations on September 16.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The BJP-led West Bengal government and its chief minister have framed the murder as a political assassination ordered by the TMC's 'Bhaipo gang', citing a Rs 2 crore figure. The CBI chargesheet, however, mentions only Rs 30 lakh and no direct link to Abhishek Banerjee, as National Herald India notes. Pro-government reports lead with Adhikari's allegation and the emotional campaign of the victim's mother, while critical coverage foregrounds the gap between the claim and the formal evidence. The divergence means the investigation itself, and whether the CBI files supplementary charges, will determine if the political narrative matches the judicial outcome. The EC faces pressure to resolve the TMC faction's symbol dispute before September 16.
Coverage: 4 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (4): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), rediff.com (sensationalist), news.abplive.com (neutral report), nationalheraldindia.com (government critical)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
