The murder of Chandranath Rath, the PA of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, in a spray of bullets at Madhyamgram on Wednesday night, has triggered alarm bells in and around Islampur in North Dinajpur district.

Following revelations that the assailants used a fake number plate, copied from an online vehicle sale advertisement, on their car, many second-hand vehicle dealers and private car owners have started removing their listings from online platforms.

The number belonged to a car owned by William Joseph, a resident of Shivmandir on the outskirts of Siliguri, who had uploaded photographs of his vehicle on an online marketplace as he wanted to sell it.

In Islampur, Rath’s murder ignited discussions on online safety and the risks of publicly displaying vehicle registration numbers on digital platforms.

In Islampur, many second-hand vehicle dealers said they had deleted such pictures online and would blur number plates before uploading photographs in the future.

Abdul Wahid, a resident of Ismail Chowk in Islampur who runs a second-hand motorcycle showroom, said the incident had deeply alarmed him.

“I regularly post advertisements online to sell vehicles. But after hearing that the criminals copied a vehicle number from an online platform and used it during the murder, I have deleted the photographs of vehicles I want to sell,” said Wahid.

A similar concern was expressed by Arpita Pine, also a resident of Islampur, who had recently posted her car for sale online.

“After hearing about Wednesday night’s incident, I became anxious. I am now thinking of deleting the advertisement or reposting it after blurring the number plate,” she said.

A senior officer of the Islampur police district said it was encouraging that people were becoming more aware of digital safety.

“Public awareness is increasing, which is a positive sign. People should remain cautious not only while using vehicle sale platforms but also while using all kinds of online services and applications,” the officer said.