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3 arrested from UP, Bihar in murder of Suvendu's aide
11 May 2026

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari, has made three arrests.

The three men identified as Vishal Srivastava, Raj Singh and Mayank Mishra were arrested in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

The police suspect that the crime was carried out by hired sharpshooters from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who executed the ambush with military precision.

Rath was shot dead inside his car in Madhyamgram on Wednesday.

At least 8 people involved in conspiracy
Escape analysis

The police suspect that at least eight people were involved in the conspiracy, including local operatives who provided logistical support to the shooters.

According to police, the attackers carried out the operation in 50 seconds. They said a silver hatchback allegedly intercepted Rath's vehicle before bike-borne assailants opened fire at close range.

Investigators believe the attackers used a red hatchback and multiple motorcycles to flee after the attack.

CCTV footage showed another vehicle trailing the silver hatchback during the ambush.

SIT tracking leads from stolen vehicles
Vehicle trace

The SIT has recovered two motorcycles linked to the crime, one near the airport area and another near Barasat rail gates 11 and 12.

Preliminary findings suggest these vehicles were stolen earlier and fitted with fake number plates.

A major breakthrough came when investigators traced a UPI payment made at Nivedita Setu toll plaza on May 6, which led them to Jharkhand, where they suspect the silver hatchback used in the murder was procured.

Investigators suspect professional hit job
Cross-border probe

Sources told TOI that the attackers avoided using FASTag and made a direct digital payment, which allowed SIT to track vehicle movements into Kolkata.

Police teams have been sent to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand as part of the investigation into possible interstate criminal links.

Investigators believe that the murder was planned weeks in advance with professional coordination involving criminals from multiple states.