Suvendu Adhikari Aide Murder: Three Arrests Made in UP and Bihar

Three persons have been arrested from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, an aide of senior BJP leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, police said on Monday.

The accused were detained on Sunday and later formally arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the killing that took place in the Madhyamgram area of North 24 Parganas district on the night of May 6.

According to police officials, the arrests were made after investigators tracked “digital clues and interstate links” connected to the case.

“This is a breakthrough. The investigation indicated that the assailants were from outside West Bengal. Based on technical surveillance, digital tracking and other inputs, members of the SIT were sent to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They arrested the three persons from UP. They will be brought to West Bengal on transit remand," an officer told PTI.

One of the arrested accused has been identified as Vishal Srivastava, a resident of Pandiyapatti in Bihar’s Buxar district. The two other accused are from Uttar Pradesh. Investigators suspect that one of them is a sharpshooter.

Police said at least eight people were involved in planning and executing the murder.

According to investigators, the attackers had carried out detailed reconnaissance before targeting Rath.  “The murder was executed with meticulous planning. Investigators have been relying heavily on digital footprints, CCTV footage, and technical evidence to establish the sequence of events,” the officer said. The interrogation of the arrested persons is underway, he added.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Rath’s vehicle was intercepted near the Doharia area close to the Madhyamgram crossing. A car allegedly blocked his vehicle while a motorcycle stopped alongside before the attack took place.

During the probe, police found that the suspected vehicle used in the crime had crossed the Bali toll plaza shortly before the murder. One of the occupants reportedly paid the toll using a UPI transaction, which became a key lead in the investigation.

“That digital payment helped investigators identify a mobile number and establish the identity of one of the suspects. The trail eventually led our teams to the accused,” the officer said.

Investigators are now matching the identities of the arrested men with CCTV footage and images captured at the toll plaza. Rath was shot dead two days after the declaration of the fiercely contested West Bengal Assembly bypoll results.

Police said raids are continuing in several parts of West Bengal to trace the remaining suspects involved in the case.

(With Inputs from PTI)