KOLKATA: A brazen plot to assassinate West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose via bomb was foiled after Kolkata Police arrested the prime suspect in a late-night raid.
The drama began with a hoax—or was it?—call to Raj Bhavan threatening to ‘explode the governor into oblivion.’ Received at 7:45 PM Tuesday, the call triggered an all-hands-on-deck response from state intelligence.
Within four hours, tech-savvy sleuths tracked the mobile signal to Baranagar, leading to the capture of 42-year-old Vijay Patel. Neighbors described him as reclusive, often seen muttering about ‘powerful people ruining lives.’
Patel’s interrogation shed light on his motives: deep-seated resentment from joblessness, amplified by fringe WhatsApp groups spreading governor-bashing narratives. He admitted buying a cheap SIM for anonymity but slipped up on signal triangulation.
This threat exacerbates the governor’s fraught relationship with the ruling Trinamool Congress. Bose’s interventions in university appointments and law enforcement have irked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee repeatedly.
Enhanced security now blankets Raj Bhavan, including drone surveillance and additional personnel. Police suspect Patel acted alone but are investigating accomplices.
The episode spotlights India’s burgeoning threat landscape against officials, with 30% rise in such calls last year per NCRB data. Commissioner Goyal emphasized zero tolerance: ‘No threat, however idle, goes unanswered.’
As Patel faces charges under anti-terror laws, the public awaits clarity on whether this was a lone wolf act or symptomatic of wider unrest.