Varanasi: In a significant breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Special Task Force (STF) recovered three pistols and two revolvers allegedly used in the May 6 murder of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The recovery followed the arrest of another accused, Naveen Kumar Singh, in Ballia during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
Joint Operation Leads to Arrest
In a coordinated operation with the STF's Varanasi field unit, the CBI arrested Naveen Kumar Singh, a resident of Thamnahanpura, from Bisuneepur. An FIR under the Arms Act was subsequently lodged at Fefna police station on May 20. The STF's seizure list included a 9mm pistol, two .32 bore pistols, two revolvers, 45 live cartridges, nine empty shells, and a mobile phone.
Confession and Recovery
During initial questioning, Naveen revealed that Gyanendra Pratap Singh, alias Mannu, of Sheetal Dawani had visited his house on May 7 in a car along with associates Rajkumar Singh and Golu Singh. Mannu handed him a bag containing arms and ammunition, instructing him to keep it at home. Naveen claimed that after seeing news of Rajkumar's arrest, he panicked and hid the bag in his warehouse near NH-31. The STF later escorted him to the warehouse, where the cache was recovered.
Search for Gyanendra Intensifies
The CBI has intensified its search for Gyanendra, who allegedly purchased a second-hand Nissan Micra from a local named Satyam Singh. This vehicle was later used in the crime. Naveen and Gyanendra came under the CBI radar following the interrogation of recently arrested accused Rajkumar Singh and Vinay Rai, alias Pumpum, from Ballia and Varanasi.
Car Purchase Details
Before Naveen's arrest, the CBI team visited Satyam Singh, who sold the second-hand car to the Ballia-based contract killer Gyanendra. Satyam's father, Jitendra Singh of Phulwaria village, confirmed that the CBI sought details of the car. Satyam had purchased the vehicle from a Lucknow resident through his friend Deepak alias Mithu for Rs 35,000 in October 2025. Despite repeated requests, Mithu delayed the transfer of papers to Satyam's name. On May 1, Mithu convinced Satyam to sell the car to Mannu for Rs 50,000, again without transferring registration.
Prime Target: Gyanendra Pratap Singh
Agencies are now hunting for Gyanendra, their prime target. Active in crime since 2006, he has 12 cases against him, mostly for murder, and was booked under the Gangsters Act in 2023. As the search intensified, an old video of him firing 30 rounds in rapid succession at village head Mukesh Singh went viral on social media. Photos of Gyanendra and Rajkumar with arms have also surfaced.
Previous Arrests
Rajkumar Singh of Ratpur village, Rasra, Ballia, was returning from Haridwar when the CBI apprehended him at a Muzaffarnagar toll plaza on May 17. Another prime accused, Vinay Rai alias Pumpum of Ghazipur, who had been wanted since May 9, was arrested from the Police Lines area in Varanasi on May 19 evening.
This article is based on reporting by Rajeev Dikshit, who covers Varanasi and 10 districts in east Uttar Pradesh, specializing in political, legal, crime, and developmental stories.
