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Mysterious deaths of Suvendu Adhikari's past aides resurface in controversy
Kolkata: Suvendu Adhikari, one of West Bengal’s most prominent political figures, is once again at the center of a controversy surrounding the deaths of his close aides and security personnel over the past decade. Political debates have resurfaced about whether these deaths, spanning 13 years, were suspicious, though no official investigation has confirmed any direct link.
The controversy dates back to 2013, when Pradip Jha, a personal assistant to then-Trinamool Congress MP Suvendu Adhikari, was found unconscious near Strand Road in Kolkata and later declared dead at a hospital. The post-mortem cited excessive alcohol consumption and asphyxiation. However, questions were raised about missing personal items, the state of his clothing, and other unusual circumstances. While murder was considered as a possibility, the investigation ultimately yielded no conclusive results.
In 2018, Suvendu Adhikari’s bodyguard, Subhabrata Chakraborty, was found dead from a gunshot inside a barracks in Contai. Authorities initially classified the death as a suicide. Family members, however, alleged foul play and called for a renewed inquiry. Despite the case being re-registered, no definitive conclusion has been reached to date.
The death of another aide, Pulak Lahiri, in 2021 further fueled speculation. Most recently, the murder of Chandranath Rath has again intensified political discourse, putting the spotlight back on Adhikari. As a leading figure of the West Bengal BJP and a former high-profile rival of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram, Adhikari’s political journey continues to attract attention.
While investigations into these incidents remain unresolved, the debate over potential connections or patterns persists, keeping the issue alive in the state’s political arena.
