Gandhinagar:A three-member team from Gujarat’s Directorate of Forensic Sciences (DFS) in Gandhinagar has joined the investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath,the personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

The experts from Gujarat reached Kolkata to conduct forensic and ballistic examinations at the crime scene, where unidentified assailants shot Rath late Wednesday while he was returning home. The attackers also opened fire on the vehicle’s driver, who sustained four gunshot injuries and remains under medical treatment.

Officials said the Gujarat forensic team inspected the site to assist the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by West Bengal Police to investigate the high-profile killing. The SIT is being led by an officer of Inspector General of Police (IGP) rank.

Investigators said the Directorate of Forensic Sciences team will analyze bullet trajectories, firing angles and gunshot residue to identify the weapon used in the attack and reconstruct the sequence of events.Ballistics experts are also expected to help determine whether the firearm involved can be linked to suspects or previous criminal cases.

The Directorate of Forensic Sciences, headquartered in Gandhinagar,Gujarat, is one of India’s prominent forensic institutions and provides scientific support in criminal investigations involving ballistics,DNA testing, cyber forensics and toxicology.The agency regularly assists police departments and courts in complex criminal investigations requiring technical evidence.

Forensic ballistics analysis plays a key role in murder investigations because it helps establish how a shooting occurred, including firing distance, direction and weapon characteristics.Such findings often become crucial evidence during prosecution and trial proceedings.

The murder of Rath has drawn significant political attention because it occurred days after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in West Bengal. Authorities have not yet announced a motive for the attack, and no arrests have been publicly confirmed.

Sources familiar with the investigation said the Gandhinagar DFS team is providing technical assistance to the SIT as investigators continue to examine forensic evidence and possible leads connected to the Kolkata shooting case.