‘My car was on OLX for sale’: Siliguri owner says number plate used in Suvendu aide assassination may have been cloned online

Car Owner Suspects OLX Leak

William Joseph, the owner of the vehicle bearing the original registration number, said police contacted him soon after the incident on Wednesday night.

Though he said he has no concrete proof, Joseph suspects the vehicle number may have been leaked through OLX, where he had earlier posted an advertisement to sell the car.

Rath Shot at Point-Blank Range

Reports said Rath was attacked at point-blank range after allegedly being followed for some time.

According to local television reports, the driver of Rath’s car also sustained injuries in the attack.

Rath reportedly suffered three bullet wounds — two in the chest and one in the stomach — and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Assailants Escape After Attack

The bike-borne attackers fled the spot immediately after the shooting, and their identities are yet to be established.

Police said the number plate used on the attackers’ vehicle was “fake”.

Authorities have launched a search operation and are scanning CCTV footage from the area to identify and nab the assailants.

BJP Alleges Political Assassination

Swapan Dasgupta, BJP MLA-elect from Rashbehari, squarely blamed the Trinamool Congress, alleging the ruling party had resorted to violence after failing to accept its crushing defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Speaking to ANI, Dasgupta said, “This was not an accidental death, but a pre-planned political assassination, a murder whose fingerprints will lead right to the top of a defeated party which cannot accept and reconcile itself to a devastating defeat in the elections...”

“They knew the importance of Chandra, his route and it was planned accordingly... It was done by an assassin... It is a revenge. Since they could not win an election, they take it out through guns...,” he added.

Political Tension Escalates

The killing comes amid heightened political tension in West Bengal following the Assembly election results, in which the BJP secured a landmark victory.

The incident is expected to further intensify the already charged political atmosphere in the state, with security concerns likely to dominate political discourse in the coming days.