The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday assumed control of the investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of Suvendu Adhikari, a prominent political figure. Rath was fatally shot near his residence in Madhyamgram on May 6.
Arrests and Investigation
The state Special Investigation Team (SIT), composed of officers from the Bengal Special Task Force, the Criminal Investigation Department, and the Barasat Police Station, apprehended three individuals on Monday: Mayank Raj Mishra, Raj Singh, and Vicky Maurya. Among them, Singh is believed to be the shooter.
The CBI has constituted a seven-member SIT led by Deputy Inspector General Pankaj Kumar Singh from the Headquarters Branch, Special Crime-I, New Delhi. He will be supported by Superintendents of Police Subhas Chandra Kundu and Anil Kumar Yadav from Delhi, three Deputy Superintendents of Police from Dhanbad, Ranchi, and Patna, and an Inspector from Lucknow. A CBI team has visited Dohariya, the crime scene.
Legal Concerns Raised
Haribansh Singh, the lawyer representing Raj Singh, who is a resident of Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, expressed dissatisfaction with the Bengal Police's handling of the arrest, alleging that legal procedures were not properly followed. Singh's mother claimed her son was being framed.
Sequence of Events
According to an SIT officer, Mishra, who was arrested in Buxar, Bihar, traveled to Bengal in a car. Prior to the murder, he alighted at Birati Mor on Jessore Road, while the car proceeded to Rail Gate 11 in Barasat, where it executed a U-turn. Investigators claim the car was parked in front of an electronics shop facing Madhyamgram from 4:05 PM to 6:55 PM on May 6. It then moved towards Dohariya, where Rath was killed at 10:08 PM. Police allege that around 10:10 PM, after the operation, Singh, Maurya, and Mishra boarded trains from Sealdah station heading to Ballia and Buxar.
Police stated that Singh and Maurya are contract killers, and the individual who hired them remains at large.
Motive and Financial Aspects
Investigators face several critical questions, with the primary one being the motive behind the murder. Multiple sources indicate that Singh, who has a criminal record including murder, is associated with a political party and that he shot Rath. Maurya was also present during the shooting. A sum of Rs 1.5 crore is reported to have been paid for hiring the assassins and covering related expenses.
Evidence and Leads
Police traced a recovered motorcycle with a fake number plate to Dhanbad. The actual owner of the number informed police that his wife used the vehicle. A state police team questioned several individuals at Jorapokhar in Jharkhand. An officer claimed the vehicle used in the incident was purchased from Jharkhand. The name of a gang, the Sheru Gang, has emerged during the investigation. Dhanbad's Senior Superintendent of Police, Prabodh Kumar, stated that two others are being questioned regarding the supply of weapons.
