
The CBI has filed a charge sheet against 11 accused in the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Rath was shot dead by motorcycle-borne attackers…
The CBI has filed a charge sheet against 11 accused in the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Rath was shot dead by motorcycle-borne attackers in Madhyamgram on May 6, two days after the Assembly election results. The agency recently arrested brothers Sagar Sonkar and Sahib Sonkar, described in the case as BJP workers who worked in Rath’s office.

The CBI alleges that Sagar arranged and funded the contract killing, using Uttar Pradesh-based shooters. Officials said the planning began in December 2025. The agency has arrested six alleged shooters and three alleged middlemen. One accused remains absconding. A functionary of a rival political party is also under investigation.

Political camps may try to turn the case into proof of a wider party conspiracy, while others may dismiss it as routine election violence. Neither claim is established by a charge sheet. The CBI’s allegations must face trial, and the alleged links to a rival party need evidence beyond call records or past employment. The clearest test will be whether prosecutors can prove who ordered the killing, who paid for it and how the money moved.
Sources (3): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, deccanherald.com, rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.