Digital payment at a toll plaza near Kolkata has emerged as a major breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Three people from Bihar’s Buxar district were arrested in connection with the case, police said, after investigators traced a UPI transaction allegedly made by the attackers as they crossed Bally Square in Howrah, as first reported by HT.
Buxar Superintendent of Police, Subham Arya, confirmed that a team from West Bengal conducted raids in the area.
How UPI payment led to suspects
The silver car allegedly used in the attack crossed the toll point shortly before the shooting, and its occupants paid the toll via UPI payment.
“The UPI transaction helped investigators identify a mobile number linked to one of the suspects. CCTV footage from the toll plaza also captured images of the vehicle and its occupants,” an officer told news agency PTI.
The digital trail, along with CCTV footage, helped investigators piece together the movement of the suspects before the killing.
Officials familiar with the investigation told HT that West Bengal’s Special Task Force (STF) has arrested three suspects – alleged criminal Vishal Srivastava, Mayank Mishra and Vicky Maurya – in connection with the case. But there has been no official confirmation of their arrest yet.
Meanwhile, Buxar SP Arya confirmed that a West Bengal Police team carried out raids in Bihar’s Buxar district and arrested some suspects. He added that the detainees were transferred for interrogation, but did not provide further details.
Srivastava is said to have more than 22 criminal cases registered against him in Buxar alone, including murder and robbery charges.
Fake number plates, Austrian-made weapon used
Investigators said the attackers abandoned the silver car after the shooting and fled using a red car and a motorcycle.
Police later found two motorcycles linked to the crime, one near the crime scene and the other from Prasat, about 6 kilometers away.
Officials said the registration plates on all the vehicles were fake, while the engine and chassis numbers were also doctored to avoid recognition.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and STF have formed a Special Investigation Team to investigate the murder.
A PTI report said officials identified the weapon allegedly used in the attack as an Austrian-made Glock 47X pistol, a sophisticated firearm rarely seen in criminal cases in India.
“The Glock pistol is not easily available in India. Its use has prompted investigators to examine whether there could be any international or cross-border connection behind the crime,” the news agency quoted an officer as saying.
Another officer said: “We are keeping all possibilities open, including the involvement of external agents or organized criminal networks.”
The murder took place just two days after the Bharatiya Janata Party achieved a landslide victory in the West Bengal assembly elections, ending the 15-year rule of the Mamata Banerjee government.
Rath was returning home on the night of May 6 when he was attacked around 10 p.m. According to police officials cited by PTI, the SUV Rath was driving was intercepted near his home by a silver car, after which armed assailants on motorcycles opened fire at close range.
His driver Buddhadeb Bera was seriously injured in the shooting and is still undergoing treatment.
(With inputs from Avinash Kumar)
