The West Bengal Police has arrested three individuals from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Suvendu Adhikari, sources said on Monday. The accused have been identified as Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya, and Raj Singh.
Based on specific leads, Mayank and Vicky Maurya were detained from Buxar, Bihar, and Raj Singh was detained from Ballia on Sunday (May 10). According to the CID West Bengal, all three were arrested this morning by the Madhyamgram Police team.
Police verifying their exact roles
According to sources in the West Bengal Police SIT, the three detained individuals are believed to be the ones who executed the murder of Chandranath Rath.
Sources said one of the accused, identified as Mayank, came under the police radar after allegedly making a UPI payment at a toll plaza shortly after the murder took place.
Investigators suspect that the three accused jointly hatched the conspiracy, carried out reconnaissance of Rath's movements, and later executed the killing.
The SIT is currently probing several crucial aspects of the case, including who fired the fatal shot, who conducted the surveillance, and who provided shelter to the accused while they were absconding.
Police are also examining whether the murder was politically motivated or linked to personal enmity. Following the interrogation, the SIT is expected to issue an official statement detailing the specific roles allegedly played by each accused.
According to sources, two of the accused are from Bihar's Buxar, while the third is originally a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Ballia and is also believed to be residing in Buxar.
Further investigation is underway.
Suvendu Adhikari PA case
Adhikari's personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the northern fringes of Kolkata on the night of May 6. The incident took place at Doharia in Madhyamgram's Doltala area in North 24 Parganas district, where Rath, who served as the executive assistant to the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, was shot at point-blank range by motorcycle-borne assailants.
According to information, the attackers followed Rath's car, intercepted it, shot him through the rolled-up window from the opposite side, and fled the scene immediately after carrying out the attack. He was seated in the front seat next to the driver.
Rath's driver also sustained bullet injuries and was shifted to a Kolkata hospital, where his condition was stated to be critical.
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