Kolkata police have arrested three men in connection with the shooting death of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Investigators said a digital trail from a UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transaction helped identify the suspects.
According to police, the attack took place on the night of May 6 around 10 pm, when Rath was returning home to Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district in a Mahindra Scorpio. A Nissan Micra car allegedly intercepted him, after which unidentified assailants arrived on a two-wheeler, shot him, and fled in another red-coloured car.
Police reviewed CCTV footage from the area and found that a suspicious vehicle had stopped at a toll plaza. The occupants reportedly paid the toll using UPI, and the transaction details became a key lead in the investigation.
The arrested men were identified as Vishal Srivastava from Buxar in Bihar, and Raj Singh and Mayank Mishra from Uttar Pradesh. Police from three states coordinated the arrests.
During questioning, the suspects were found to be linked to a hired gang, with multiple cases including murder, robbery and assault registered against them at various police stations. They were produced before the Barasat court, which granted 13 days of police custody for further interrogation.
