A close associate and personal assistant of Indian politician Suvendu Adhikari has been shot dead in a targeted attack near Kolkata, according to Indian media reports.
The victim, Chandranath Dutta, who had long served as Adhikari’s personal assistant, was attacked on Wednesday night in the Madhyamgram area on the outskirts of Kolkata. Indian news outlet India Today reported that multiple rounds of gunfire were exchanged during the incident.
Preliminary reports suggest that the attackers opened fire at close range while Dutta was inside his vehicle. He reportedly sustained bullet wounds to his chest and head. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where doctors later declared him dead.
Sources cited in the report said the assailants had been following Dutta’s vehicle before the attack. The gunmen allegedly fired as soon as the car slowed down.
Dutta’s driver was also injured in the shooting and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. Security forces have been heavily deployed outside the medical facility to prevent any untoward incidents.
Police have launched an investigation into the killing, but the identities and motives of the attackers remain unclear.
The attack comes amid heightened political tension and sporadic violence in West Bengal following the recent state assembly election, in which India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a sweeping victory, ending 15 years of rule by the Trinamool Congress.
