There are now two leads at the center of the investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari who became West Bengal chief minister on Saturday. The first is the Uttar Pradesh connection traced through the vehicle used in the attack, and the UPI payment made by the attackers at a toll plaza near Kolkata.
Four days after the murder, no arrests had been made, although some men were detained.
To UP via UPI, and also to Bihar
Police are tracking down the UPI payment made by occupants of a Nissan Micra — the hatchback used to intercept Rath’s SUV — at a toll booth in Pali, near Kolkata, reports said on Sunday.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) traveled to Uttar Pradesh after tracing the number on the car to reach a resident of Siliguri (West Bengal) who had advertised the car for sale and was contacted by people from Uttar Pradesh expressing their interest in buying it.
Rath’s SUV, a Mahindra Scorpio, was followed by a silver-coloured Micra when he was about 200 meters from his home near Doharia crossing in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, on May 6.
Rath, who was sitting on the front passenger seat, was shot at point-blank range by the bike-riding assailants. The agency reported that the killers got rid of the Micra and fled using a red vehicle and motorcycles. The entire attack lasted barely 45 to 50 seconds. Micra has since been seized.
Police suspect that the attackers cloned or fabricated the number plate to hide the actual identity of the vehicle and avoid detection. The special investigation team reportedly examined communication logs, call details and digital exchanges associated with the contacts located in Uttar Pradesh.
Investigators first tracked the car to the toll plaza through CCTV footage, then followed a digital payment trail, which could help identify those inside the car.
Officials have not shared more details yet.
Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna confirmed the Bangladesh team’s visit but told HT: “Nothing substantive related to the case has come to light so far.”
Two police teams have also been sent to Bihar, where investigators suspect the snipers were brought in from outside West Bengal, the news agency reported, citing an unnamed senior official.
Advance information about sitting position
The SIT also established that the attackers had prior information about Rath’s exact sitting position inside the car. “It appears that the shooters knew exactly where the target was sitting. The execution was quick and professionally coordinated,” a senior Special Investigations Department officer told PTI.
Police believe at least eight people were involved, including two snipers and local criminal associates who provided logistical support.
Investigators told PTI that the group coordinated in real time through a WhatsApp group.
Two motorcycles were recovered, one near the crime scene and the other from Barasat on Friday morning. The agency stated that preliminary findings indicate that the red car and motorcycles had been stolen earlier.
Three people have been arrested and are being questioned, but no formal arrests have been made, police said.
Rath, a former Indian Air Force employee, was a close aide to Adhikari, who is leading the West Bengal government after the BJP won the state assembly elections. His body, wrapped in the national flag, has been kept in a field in his native village of Kulob in Purba Medinipur district so that people can pay their respects to him.
