West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said that “Bhaipo-gang” (nephew gang) was behind the murder of Chandranath Rath, his personal assistant, who was shot dead in May this year , days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in West Bengal.
Bengal elections results were announced on May 4, with the BJP coming to power with a sweeping victory by winning 207 seats. Adhikari took oath on May 9.
I won’t divulge any further for the sake of the investigation. “As it was an inter-state crime, the state government handed over the probe to the CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation]. Seven persons have been arrested. The ‘Bhaipo gang’ arranged the funds. the BJP leaders have frequently referred to Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from Diamond Harbour and nephew of former CM Mamata Banerjee, as ‘Bhaipo’ (Bengali for nephew) during election campaigns While the CM didn’t name any person.
As far as I know, ₹ 2 crore was spent to murder him.
There are call records of individuals from Diamond Harbour who handed over the money to the contract killers,” Adhikari said. Both factions said their candidates would file nominations on the party symbol — twin flowers on two stems emerging from the grass. On Monday the rebel camp of the TMC led by Ritabrata Banerjee named two candidates for the upcoming bye-elections. The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction announced its candidates for the by polls on Sunday.
“The manner in which Chandranath was brutally murdered , I feel that his biggest crime was that he was assisting the Leader of the Opposition (Adhikari was the LoP in the state legislative assembly). The Congress, Left Front and two factions of the TMC have already fielded their candidates. The last day for filing nomination for by-elections is September 16.
That’s why he was eliminated,” Adhikari said in a rally in Haldia.
