Chandranath Rath killing: Arrested suspect’s mother claims he was at Lucknow wedding – ‘cameras can be checked’

Jamvanti Singh, the mother of Raj Singh, who was arrested in connection with the killing of Chandranath Rath, defended her son and claimed that he attended wedding functions in Lucknow on May 7 and 8 and had done “nothing wrong,” according to a report by The Times of India.

She said CCTV footage from their residence and visits to local markets could help corroborate her version of events.

Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram on 6 May, two days after the results of the fiercely contested 2026 West Bengal Assembly election were announced. On Monday, the West Bengal Police arrested three suspects, including Raj Singh, from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in connection with the murder. Investigators traced the accused through a UPI payment made at a toll plaza by one of the suspects.

Jamvanti said her son travelled with her to attend the wedding of Pappu Singh's daughter, a local MLC, along with a driver, one of his friends, and another acquaintance. “Raj attended the wedding and returned around midnight. We slept there and the next morning got ready to leave for Ambedkar Nagar,” she recalled while speaking to journalists.

She mentioned they also visited the Makhdoom Ashraf Baba shrine after their departure from Lucknow, adding that locals knew her son and could confirm their visit.

Police officials stopped their vehicle as they were leaving the area, according to her. She alleged Raj Singh was taken into custody, while she was detained overnight at a women’s police station.

She said officials told her that the Kolkata Police had arrived and were taking her son by flight for questioning in connection with the case, the report noted.

“They said it was only for interrogation and that he would be released later, but since then we have had no information about where exactly he is,” she claimed, noting that “We have cameras at home. We went shopping in the city and bought items. Everything can be checked”.

Jamvanti stated, “My son has done nothing wrong. Please conduct a proper investigation and find out the truth.”

Advocate Harivansh Singh also accused the West Bengal Police of not following due legal procedure while arresting his client, Raj Singh. According to him, Raj Singh’s arrest was officially shown as having taken place in Ayodhya, which meant the police should have obtained a transit remand from the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court before taking him to Kolkata.

He alleged that instead of securing the required court order, the West Bengal Police transported Raj Singh directly to Kolkata.