Chandranath Rath killing: CBI arrests ‘main shooter’ Rajkumar in Muzaffarnagar

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested an accused named Rajkumar in connection with the murder case of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's Personal Assistant (PA) Chandranath Rath, sources told news agency ANI.

"The accused was arrested in Muzaffarnagar; he is the main shooter," CBI sources were quoted as saying.

"The CBI has obtained a transit remand for the accused and will produce him before the Special CBI Court in Kolkata tomorrow," sources said.

Rath's SUV was intercepted by a silver car near his residence, following which armed men on two-wheelers opened fire, killing him.

The assailants then abandoned the silver car and fled in a red car and a motorcycle. Two motorcycles linked to the crime were later found, one near the spot and another in Barasat, around 6 km away.

The registration plates of all the vehicles were allegedly forged, and their engine and chassis numbers were tampered with, police said.

Three people were arrested by the West Bengal Police on May 11 in connection with the murder. They were identified as Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya and Raj Singh.

The court remanded three accused to police custody till May 24, following their arrest from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Mayank Raj Mishra and Vicky Maurya were detained from Buxar in Bihar, while Raj Singh was apprehended from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh based on investigative leads.

The arrests were made after police tracked a UPI payment made by one of the assailants at a toll booth in Bally near Kolkata.

On May 13, the CBI took over the case and filed an FIR into Rath's murder. The agency formed a seven-member SIT to probe the incident.

On May 15, a CBI team questioned the family members of Raj Singh, a police officer said.

Investigators are currently questioning them to uncover the wider conspiracy and identify the mastermind behind the killing.