Kolkata, May 7 -- Professional killers likely murdered Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, and carried out a meticulously planned crime in less than a minute, police investigators said on Thursday.

Use of multiple vehicles, tampered license plates and chassis numbers, a clearly targeted killing through the tinted window-glass of Rath's car and an operation that lasted only about 50 seconds -- all evidence points to a premeditated murder, an investigator said, requesting anonymity.

Three persons have been detained for their alleged involvement in the murder, which sent shockwaves across the state, readying for an uneasy power transition after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ousted the Trinamool Congr...