Three Arrested in Murder of West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari's Aide

Three suspects—Vishal Srivastava, Raj Singh, and Mayank—have been arrested in the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The joint operation involved police forces from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, with arrests made in UP and Bihar following a breakthrough in digital evidence tracking. Rath was shot dead at close range on Wednesday night between 10:00 and 10:10 p.m., in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, just 200 meters from his home, while seated in a Mahindra Scorpio SUV.

Investigators determined that the victim's vehicle was blocked by a silver Nissan Micra before bike-borne attackers opened fire. The assailants fled the scene using a red car and a motorcycle after abandoning the Micra. Police recovered CCTV footage from a toll plaza in Bally near Kolkata, where a UPI payment was made by one of the suspects, providing a critical lead in identifying and locating the accused.

The use of digital transaction data marks a key advancement in the investigation, as authorities confirm the suspects' movements across state lines. No group or motive has been officially disclosed, though the killing has drawn political attention due to Rath's close association with the Chief Minister.

West Bengal police are conducting further interrogations and plan to reconstruct the crime scene. Additional arrests are possible as the investigation continues.