The murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, is no longer a local crime; it is a multi-state manhunt.

In a joint operation, Kolkata and Ayodhya Police arrested Raj Singh, a Ballia resident who had been living in Bihar's Buxar district. Investigators say Singh fled to Ayodhya after the May 6 killing and was picked up from there before being brought to Kolkata for questioning.

The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) simultaneously raided Buxar, detaining Vishal Srivastava, a notorious criminal with multiple cases under murder and Arms Act charges. He was taken to Kolkata for interrogation but released after questioning.

While the arrests make headlines, they are digital breadcrumbs that could crack the case open. A UPI payment allegedly made by suspects at a toll plaza near Bally, on the outskirts of Kolkata, has emerged as a critical lead. Investigators are now combing through CCTV footage from the toll booth to map how the accused moved before and after the killing.

The murder itself was methodical. Rath, a former Air Force officer, was shot dead near his residence in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas. His SUV was intercepted roughly 200 metres from his home after a silver Nissan Micra cut across its path. As the vehicle halted, bike-borne assailants opened fire at close range, Rath, seated in the front passenger seat, was killed on the spot.

The precision of the attack has not been lost on investigators. The killers knew where he sat. They knew his route. Police believe the murder was carefully planned, with the attackers having prior knowledge of both Rath's movements and his position in the vehicle.

Since then, police have recovered the silver Nissan Micra along with two motorcycles, one from the crime scene, another from Barasat. Preliminary findings suggest the vehicles were stolen, likely sourced specifically for the operation and the getaway.

Published on: May 11, 2026 11:06 AM IST