Three suspects Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya and Raj Singh were arrested from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in connection with the murder of personal assistant of West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari Chandranath Rath and remanded to 13 days’ police custody by a Barasat court.
Three suspects were arrested from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The accused have been identified as Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya and Raj Singh.
Mayank Raj Mishra and Vicky Maurya were apprehended in Buxar, Bihar, while Raj Singh was arrested in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The three men were produced before a court in Barasat, North 24 Parganas, which remanded them in police custody for 13 days for further interrogation.
According to investigators, a UPI transaction at a toll plaza and CCTV footage from multiple locations were key to tracing the suspects. Police said one of the accused had made an online payment while crossing the Bali toll plaza shortly before the murder. Investigators then traced the mobile number associated with the transaction, which helped them identify the suspects and track their movements.
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Officials added that CCTV footage from toll plazas and nearby roads indicated the movement of suspicious vehicles following Chandranath Rath’s Scorpio SUV shortly before the attack. Investigators are now cross-checking the arrested accused against the CCTV visuals and other technical evidence gathered so far.
After the shooting, the attackers reportedly escaped the spot using motorcycles and a red car. Police later recovered one vehicle believed to have been used in the crime, but officials said the number plate was fake. Investigators also found that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicle had been tampered with, apparently to hide its identity.
A motorcycle thought to have been used in the attack was later found abandoned near a tea stall roughly 4 km from the crime scene. Authorities said this vehicle too had a fake registration number.
Investigators believe the accused intentionally relied on fake plates, modified vehicle details, and changed escape routes to avoid detection.
Officials stated that law-enforcement agencies suspect at least eight people may have been involved in planning and carrying out the murder. Police believe the suspects conducted reconnaissance for several days before the attack and closely monitored Rath’s movements.
Authorities are currently investigating:
- the broader conspiracy behind the murder
- possible sources of funding
- the involvement of any additional accused
- whether the killing was carried out on a contract basis
Officials noted that the probe is still underway and additional arrests are likely.
Police said the attackers used a Glock 47X pistol during the shooting. Investigators believe firearms of this advanced type are generally not used by ordinary criminals, suggesting the possible involvement of trained or professional shooters. Officials suspect that one of the arrested accused may have acted as a sharpshooter hired specifically to execute the attack.
Chandranath Rath was a former Air Force officer who later took voluntary retirement and briefly worked in the corporate sector before entering politics. He was associated with Suvendu Adhikari since Adhikari’s days in the Trinamool Congress and was considered one of his most trusted associates.
In 2019, while Suvendu Adhikari served as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee-led government, Rath officially joined his political team. He later handled key responsibilities during Adhikari’s election campaign in Bhabanipur, where Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee by about 15,000 votes.
Despite his closeness to Adhikari, Rath maintained a low profile and stayed away from political limelight.
Like Suvendu Adhikari, Chandranath Rath’s family was earlier associated with the Trinamool Congress. His mother, Hashi Rath, had held a position in a local panchayat body in East Medinipur during the TMC regime. However, she joined the BJP along with Suvendu Adhikari in 2020.
Chandranath Rath, 42, was shot dead on May 6 in North 24 Parganas district two days after the Bengal election results were announced.
According to police, Rath was travelling from Kolkata back to his rented residence in Madhyagram. His driver was behind the wheel, while Rath was seated in the front passenger seat. At around 9:58 pm, CCTV cameras captured Rath’s Scorpio passing through Madhyagram. Investigators later noticed that a suspicious car and two motorcycles carrying three men were following the SUV.
Police said that around 10:30 pm, the attackers intercepted Rath’s vehicle near Doharia Junction. A silver-coloured Nissan Micra allegedly blocked the Scorpio, forcing the driver to stop. Before Rath and the driver could respond, bike-borne assailants approached and opened fire. Investigators said 6 to 10 rounds were fired within seconds.
Rath suffered multiple bullet injuries to his chest and abdomen and later died at the scene.
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