Three Arrested, CBI Takes Charge of Probe Into BJP Aide’s Murder in Bengal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath , an aide to senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari , and has constituted a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG). A DIG is a senior police official who supervises major investigations and oversees multiple police units or departments.

Officials said the CBI has re-registered the FIR filed earlier by the West Bengal Police and will investigate all possible angles, including interstate criminal links and a larger conspiracy behind the killing.

Rath was shot dead on the night of May 6 in Madhyamgram’s Doharia Lane, around 7 km from Kolkata airport. According to investigators, Rath’s SUV was intercepted near his residence by a silver car, after which armed assailants on motorcycles opened fire before fleeing the spot.

Police suspect the murder was a meticulously planned contract killing . The attackers allegedly used multiple vehicles with forged registration plates , while engine and chassis numbers were tampered with to conceal identities. After the shooting, the assailants abandoned one vehicle and escaped in a red car and motorcycles.

Three accused Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya and Raj Singh were arrested from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. One of them is believed to be a sharp shooter hired for the operation. Investigators traced the suspects through a UPI payment made at a toll plaza in Bally, Howrah.

Officials believe at least eight people may have been involved in the conspiracy. The accused have been remanded to 13 days of police custody till May 24 , during which investigators are questioning them about the planning, funding and execution of the murder.

The CBI is now focusing on identifying the mastermind , tracing the financial network behind the alleged contract hit and determining how the accused obtained precise information about Rath’s movements before the attack.