The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested Raj Kumar Singh, a key accused in the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The arrest was made in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, according to officials cited by news agency PTI.
Background of the Case
Rath was shot dead on the night of May 6 near Doharia crossing in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas district, barely 170 meters from his residence. His driver, Buddhadeb Bera, was critically injured in the attack and remains under treatment. The assailants executed the operation in approximately 50 seconds, using a silver-colored hatchback to intercept Rath's vehicle before bike-borne attackers opened fire at close range.
Investigation Progress
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder had arrested three individuals on May 11 before expanding the probe across multiple states. Police suspect that hired sharpshooters were brought from outside West Bengal to carry out the killing with military-style precision. The SIT recovered two motorcycles linked to the crime—one near the airport area and another near rail gates 11 and 12 in Barasat. Preliminary findings indicate that the motorcycles and the red hatchback were stolen and fitted with fake number plates to avoid detection.
Digital Trail Leads to Breakthrough
A key breakthrough came when investigators traced a UPI payment made at the Nivedita Setu toll plaza on May 6. Police said the digital trail led them to Jharkhand, where the silver hatchback used in the murder may have been procured. Sources revealed that the attackers deliberately avoided using FASTag and instead made a direct digital payment, which allowed the SIT to track the vehicle's movement into Kolkata.
The CBI's arrest of Raj Kumar Singh marks a significant step in the investigation, which continues to unfold across multiple states.
