Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata
Kolkata, May 12: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has officially taken over the investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, intensifying the spotlight on the politically sensitive killing that took place shortly after the West Bengal Assembly election results.
The central agency registered a fresh FIR after assuming charge of the case from the West Bengal Police following a request made by the state government. Officials said a CBI team is expected to begin ground-level investigation in West Bengal as part of the initial phase of the probe.
Rath was shot dead on May 6 in the Doharia area of Madhyamgram, just two days after the declaration of Assembly election results. He was critically injured after unidentified assailants opened fire on him on a public road and later succumbed at a private hospital.
Investigators suspect the murder was a carefully planned attack carried out after detailed surveillance of the victim’s movements.
Before the case was transferred to the CBI, state investigators had arrested three accused — Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya and Raj Singh — during coordinated operations conducted in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
According to police, two of the accused were apprehended from Buxar in Bihar, while the third was arrested from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh. The trio was later produced before a Barasat court, which granted 13 days of CID custody. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for May 24.
Police have invoked multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to murder, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and illegal possession of arms, along with provisions of the Arms Act.
Investigators said a UPI payment made at the Bally toll plaza near Kolkata helped police trace the movement of a vehicle allegedly used in the crime. CCTV footage and technical surveillance reportedly indicated that the vehicle crossed the toll point shortly before the murder.
Officials believe at least eight persons were involved in planning and executing the attack.
Describing the incident earlier as a “pre-planned murder” and a “personal loss”, Suvendu Adhikari had appealed to BJP workers to maintain peace and expressed confidence in the investigation.
The killing has triggered a political storm in West Bengal, with opposition leaders alleging political motives behind the murder, while the ruling camp has rejected the accusations.
With the CBI now conducting a fresh probe, focus has shifted to whether the agency will be able to uncover the wider conspiracy and identify all those involved in the killing that has further escalated post-election tensions in the state.