The Central Bureau of Investigation took over on Tuesday the probe into the killing of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
The CBI also constituted a seven-member special investigation team, led by Deputy Inspector General of Police Pankaj Singh, to investigate the killing, which took place just days after the Bharatiya Janata Party's historic sweep in the state's assembly elections.
"The investigation into the murder of West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari, PA Chandranath Rath, has been transferred to CBI. CBI has constituted a seven-member SIT led by a DIG-rank officer," the central investigating agency said.
The Murder
Rath, a former Indian Air Force personnel and close aide to Adhikari, was shot dead by bike-borne assailants on the night of May 6 as he was returning home to Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas after attending a party programme. His vehicle was stopped at a crossing by a four-wheeler before the attackers opened fire. He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
The murder took place just two days after the West Bengal Assembly election results were declared on May 4, in which BJP candidates won 207 constituencies, reducing the ruling Trinamool Congress to just 80 seats.
What Adhikari Said
Adhikari described the killing as a premeditated murder, alleging that Rath was targeted specifically because of his association with him. "This was a planned operation. A recce was conducted for several days, and the victim was followed before being shot at close range," the Chief Minister said.
Adhikari further claimed that Rath would not have been killed had he not been the personal assistant of the person who defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Bhabanipur by a margin of over 15,000 votes.
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The Arrests
Three suspects — Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya, and Raj Singh — were arrested after being traced to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Mishra and Maurya were detained from Buxar in Bihar, while Raj Singh was apprehended from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, police said.
All three were brought to Kolkata on Sunday night, interrogated through the night at the state police headquarters, and formally arrested Monday morning.
The SIT And Court
The Barasat court remanded all three accused in police custody until May 24.
Public Prosecutor Advocate Bivas Chatterjee said additional charges related to destruction of evidence were also sought and added by the court. Both the Trinamool Congress and the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee had demanded a court-monitored CBI investigation into the incident, calling for an impartial and thorough inquiry.
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