Subhendu Adhikari’s associate Chandranath Rath shot dead in Madhyamgram. According to eyewitness Montu Mandal, who was present in the car, the attackers targeted only the chariot and carried out the crime in 15-20 seconds.
Chandranath Rath Death News: The third person in the Chandranath Rath murder case has finally been identified. This third person was lost somewhere between the death of Subhendu Adhikari’s associate and the injury of the driver in the Madhyamgram shootout case. Everyone was talking about him, but there was no sign of him after the incident.
When our team reached the house of the third person, Montu Mandal, we came to know that he still has not been able to come out of that shock. He is not talking to anyone. He is unable to forget the pain of losing his ‘Sir’ who was drenched in blood in front of his eyes that night. Now he is worried about what will happen to him, how will the house run. Those who were responsible for their livelihood, who used to get their monthly salary, were killed in front of our eyes. Montu’s brother Jhontu Mandal told the entire story on camera, which his brother had narrated to him like a film.
What happened to Chandranath that night?
Montu was sitting on the back seat, but not on the side, but in the middle. Bags and papers were kept on the seat, as happens every day. Perhaps that is why those who shot Sir i.e. Chandranath Rath did not see him and Montu’s life was saved. Montu used to work near Chandranath ‘Da’. That day Chandranath ‘Da’ had gone to his village Chandipur and was returning home on time. Just 100-150 meters from his house in Madhyamgram, miscreants opened fire on his car.
Montu cried and asked for help, but except one or two people no one came forward. Now many people are claiming to be eyewitnesses in front of the media, but no one was seen at that time. All the people who were there were busy taking pictures with their mobiles. As a brother, Jhontu considers this as the downfall of the society.
This incident happened in a crowded area, yet such were the circumstances. The driver was lying on the road, the brother (Montu) was crying bitterly, but no help came except a few people. Jhontu Mandal appealed to the government to also pay attention to this social degradation. He said, “It is not possible that Subhendu da, Mamata Banerjee or Abhishek’s PA gets help, but a common rickshaw puller does not. Everyone’s life is precious. If immediate help had been provided that day, perhaps the driver would have been able to get treatment sooner.” Chandranath Rath was an employee of the assembly. That day he returned to Kolkata from Medinipur, then went to Shubhendu da’s Nizam Palace office and from there via Madhyamgram office and was returning home.
According to the brother, the attackers had come to kill Chandranath ‘Da’ only. They shot the driver so that he could not drive to the hospital. But Montu knew how to drive, so he drove himself to the hospital. The Mandal family also raised questions on the role of local people who did not come forward to help. He believes that crime has increased in the entire state in the last 15 years and Madhyamgram is also not untouched by it.
According to the story heard from the brother, this incident happened between 10 and 10:10 pm. The entire operation took just 15-20 seconds. Montu was looking up for a few seconds, but as soon as the bullets started flying, he looked down. When he looked up after the sound of gunfire stopped, everything was over. After the incident Chandranath Rath’s phone rang. The caller was Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh. It was Montu who picked up the phone and told them that Chandranath ‘Da’ had been shot. Montu thought that the attackers had come on a bike, but a four-wheeler had also blocked the way from the front. Due to the glass of the car being closed, it could not be understood whether the attackers had said anything or not. CID and Madhyamgram police station officials have talked to Montu Mandal. Today his brother Jhontu Mandal has given us the same statement which Montu has told the police.