The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested another individual in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, a former associate of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The suspect, identified as Gyanendra Pratap Singh alias Monu, is a history-sheeter from Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh. He was taken into custody on Saturday after surrendering before a Gangsters Act court in Ballia on Thursday in a separate case. Singh was subsequently remanded in judicial custody at Mau jail.
Details of the Arrest
According to officials, Singh faces 12 criminal cases and was wanted in the Rath murder investigation being conducted by the CBI. Acting on a warrant issued by the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) at Barasat in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, the CBI took him to Kolkata. District government counsel Sanjeev Singh confirmed that the agency took custody of Singh, a resident of Sheetal Davani village in Ballia, from Mau district jail.
Background of the Case
Chandranath Rath was shot dead in West Bengal on May 6, 2026, two days after the Assembly election results were announced. The case was initially registered at Madhyamgram police station in Kolkata under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act. Subsequently, the investigation was handed over to the CBI.
Officials revealed that a non-bailable warrant had been issued against Singh on May 25 after he failed to appear before the court in a Gangsters Act case registered at Bansdih Road police station in 2023. Singh's wife had earlier claimed that her husband was innocent and expressed faith in the CBI probe. Additionally, a video and a Facebook post purportedly made by Singh surfaced on social media, in which he sought a fair investigation into Rath's murder and named several individuals as alleged conspirators.
Other Arrests in the Case
With the latest arrest, four persons from Ballia district have come under the CBI's scanner in the Rath murder investigation. The CBI had already taken two other accused from Ballia district to Kolkata on transit remand: Naveen Kumar Singh of Thamhanpura village and Golu Singh alias Tiger of the Bansdih Road area. Another accused, Raj Kumar Singh of the Rasra area, had been arrested earlier and taken to Kolkata.
The CBI continues to investigate the murder, which has political implications given Rath's association with Suvendu Adhikari, a prominent BJP leader. The agency is expected to probe further leads and examine the roles of other individuals named in the social media posts.
