Suvendu aide Chandranath Rath murder: CBI takes over probe

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Updated - May 12, 2026 12:55 pm IST - Kolkata The three suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant of CM Suvendu Adhikari, being taken from the Court on May 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI The CBI took over the probe into the killing of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's aide Chandranath Rath, officials said on Tuesday (May 12, 2026). The agency constituted a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising seasoned officers from multiple States, to probe the killing that rocked the State two days after the BJP won a landslide mandate in the Assembly elections. The CBI team is expected to arrive in Kolkata later in the day, officials said. The central probe agency has also re-registered the FIR earlier lodged by the police, they said, adding that a DIG-rank officer is heading the SIT. “The CBI took over the investigation on Monday (May 11, 2026) night and formed a multi-disciplinary team to ensure a comprehensive and time-bound investigation into the case. All possible angles, including interstate criminal links and conspiracy, are being examined. The CBI SIT will now focus on unravelling the larger conspiracy behind the murder,” a senior official said. Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram's Doharia Lane, around 7 km from Kolkata airport, on the night of May 6, in what BJP leaders described as a "planned assassination". His SUV was intercepted by the silver car near his residence, following which armed men on two-wheelers opened fire, according to police. After the attack, the assailants abandoned the silver car and fled in a red car and a motorcycle. Two motorcycles linked to the crime were later found, one near the spot and another in Barasat, around 6 km away. The registration plates of all the vehicles were allegedly forged, and their engine and chassis numbers were tampered with, police said. Three persons, including a “sharp shooter”, were arrested from UP and Bihar in connection with the killing. They were identified as Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya and Raj Singh. The accused were traced following a UPI payment made at a toll plaza in Howrah's Bally, police said. Investigators have been suspecting the involvement of interstate criminal operatives due to the manner in which the killing was executed. Officers of the SIT earlier formed by the West Bengal Police said at least eight persons could have been involved in the conspiracy behind the killing. Investigators claimed that the accused repeatedly changed their statements during interrogation. A court has remanded them to 13 days of police custody till May 24. “The accused are being questioned to ascertain how they received precise information regarding Rath's movements and who else was present at the crime scene,” an officer said. However, investigators have not yet disclosed who masterminded the killing, who financed the alleged contract hit, or the motive behind it. Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Suvendu aide Chandranath Rath murder: CBI takes over probe

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Suvendu aide Chandranath Rath murder: CBI takes over probe

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