UPI payment at a toll plaza became the breakthrough that helped police track down the killers of Suvendu Adhikari’s close aide
Three men have been arrested in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The arrests were carried out during a joint operation involving the police forces of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The accused have been identified as Vishal Srivastava, Raj Singh and Mayank Mishra.
Investigators traced the accused after tracking a UPI payment made at a toll booth near Bally on the outskirts of Kolkata, which became the key breakthrough in the case.
Rath was shot dead at point-blank range on Wednesday night between 10 pm and 10:10 pm while returning home. He was sitting in the front passenger seat of his Mahindra Scorpio SUV and was barely 200 metres away from his residence in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas when the attack took place.
According to the initial probe, Rath’s SUV was intercepted by a silver Nissan Micra before bike-borne assailants opened fire. After the shooting, the attackers abandoned the Micra and escaped using another red car and a motorcycle.
Police later analysed CCTV footage and tracked the movements of the suspects. The Nissan Micra was seen crossing a toll plaza where a UPI transaction was made. Investigators discovered that all three accused were travelling in the same vehicle, and the digital payment ultimately helped police trace and arrest them.
Officials said the arrested men are suspected to be professional killers. Vishal Srivastava, who hails from Bihar’s Buxar district, reportedly has over 15 criminal cases against him, including charges of murder and robbery. The other two accused are residents of Uttar Pradesh.
All three will be produced before a court in Barasat on Saturday.
Fake number plate and stolen vehicles
Police have so far recovered two motorcycles and seized the Nissan Micra allegedly used in the crime. Preliminary findings suggest that the vehicles were stolen and the car was fitted with a fake number plate.
“The four-wheeler used in the crime has been seized, but it is being reported that the number plate is fake and has been tampered with,” West Bengal DGP Siddh Nath Gupta had said following the incident.
The Micra carried the registration number WB74AK2270. Last week, police located the registered owner of one of the motorcycles used by the accused and found that it had been stolen. The bike was originally registered in the name of Vibhash Kumar Bhattacharya in 2012.
“He was targeted because he worked with me”: Suvendu Adhikari
Suvendu Adhikari described Rath’s killing as a “pre-planned” and “cold-blooded murder”, alleging that the attackers had conducted reconnaissance for several days before carrying out the shooting.
The BJP leader, who defeated Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, claimed the murder may have been linked to the outcome of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
“He was killed because he was my aide and I defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur. This could be the reason for his murder,” Adhikari told reporters after meeting Rath’s family on Thursday.
“No matter how much we condemn the way this murder was carried out, it is not enough. I stand with the family’s demand to arrest those behind the crime and ensure they are punished. The post-mortem report revealed four bullets were fired. This was clearly premeditated,” he added.
Rath’s mother, Hasirani Rath, also accused the Trinamool Congress of being behind her son’s murder.
“I hold the TMC responsible. Their gundagardi is behind this,” she told NDTV in an interview.
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