SIT arrests three UP men for murder of Suvendu Adhikari's aide

Three persons from Uttar Pradesh were arrested in connection with the killing of Chandranath Rath, an aide of Suvendu Adhikari, police said on Monday. The accused were detained on Sunday and later formally arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder, which took place in the Madhyamgram area of North 24 Parganas district on the night of May 6.

According to police, investigators traced “digital clues and interstate links” during the probe. “This is a breakthrough. The investigation indicated that the assailants were from outside West Bengal. Based on technical surveillance, digital tracking and other inputs, SIT members were sent to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They arrested the three persons from Uttar Pradesh. They will be brought to West Bengal on transit remand,” said a senior police officer.

Police identified one of the arrested men as Vishal Srivastava, a resident of Pandiyapatti in Bihar’s Buxar district, while the two others are from Uttar Pradesh. Investigators suspect that one of them is a sharpshooter.

According to the officer, at least eight people were involved in planning and executing the murder. Police believe the attackers had conducted detailed reconnaissance before targeting Rath.

“The murder was executed with meticulous planning. The assailants had taken several measures to conceal their identities and movements. Investigators have been relying heavily on digital footprints, CCTV footage and technical evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events,” the officer said. The arrested men are currently being interrogated.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Rath’s vehicle was intercepted by a car near the Doharia area close to the Madhyamgram crossing, while a motorcycle also stopped alongside.

During the probe, investigators found that the car allegedly used by the attackers had crossed the Bali toll plaza before the murder. One of the occupants reportedly paid the toll through a UPI transaction. “That digital payment helped investigators identify a mobile number and establish the identity of one of the suspects. The trail eventually led our teams to the accused,” the officer said.

Police are now matching the identities of the arrested men with CCTV footage and images captured at the toll plaza.

Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram two days after the declaration of the fiercely contested West Bengal Assembly election results. The SIT is continuing raids across multiple locations in West Bengal to trace the remaining suspects, the officer added.
(With PTI inputs)