Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, May 10: Police investigation into the killing of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has made little headway even 72 hours after the incident, with no arrests reported so far.

The shooting took place on Wednesday night in the Doharia area of Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district, where unidentified attackers allegedly intercepted Rath’s vehicle mid-road and opened fire before fleeing the scene.

According to investigators, the assailants are believed to have escaped on motorbikes via an alley route toward Peyara Bagan. However, progress in tracking their movement has been significantly hindered by the lack of usable CCTV footage along the escape path.

Police officials said several surveillance cameras in the Doharia–Mathpara stretch of Madhyamgram were either non-functional for an extended period or improperly positioned, limiting visibility. Footage from shop-installed cameras has also not provided useful leads, as most establishments were closed at the time of the incident.

A senior officer noted that the attackers may have deliberately timed the assault after dark to avoid identification of faces and number plates during their getaway.

Meanwhile, investigators have identified a red car seen trailing Rath’s Scorpio from the Birati intersection through Jessore Road and into the Doharia area. The vehicle is now a key focus of the probe, with police suspecting it may have been tracking the victim prior to the attack.

A special investigation team has been constituted to handle the case, which officials believe was carefully planned and executed.

Search operations are ongoing along possible escape routes as authorities attempt to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify those involved in the attack.