Multi-state conspiracy deepens in Chandranath Rath murder: CBI traces assassination vehicle to Jharkhand after UP, Bihar arrests
The Statesman | 15 May 2026
A widening investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has exposed a sprawling inter-state network stretching across Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tracing the assassination vehicle to Jharkhand and uncovering how its number plate was later changed in Bengal to conceal its identity.
The revelations emerged after the arrest of three accused who allegedly played key roles in the killing that took place days after the West Bengal Assembly election results. Investigators now suspect the operation was meticulously planned across multiple states, involving transport of the vehicle, fake registration details and coordinated movement of the accused.
According to preliminary findings of the CBI probe, the four-wheeler used to intercept Rath’s vehicle before the fatal shooting was sourced from neighbouring Jharkhand.
Sources said one of the arrested accused, Mayank Raj Mishra, confessed during interrogation that he was assigned by a Jharkhand-based handler to transport the vehicle from Jharkhand to Barasat in North 24 Parganas district, close to the crime scene at Madhyamgram.
Investigators said Mishra allegedly drove the vehicle across state borders before taking it to an abandoned location near the Barasat rail gate, where the original number plate was replaced with a fake registration plate. The fake registration was reportedly linked to a vehicle registered with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Siliguri, Darjeeling district.
CBI sources further revealed that Mishra claimed he was paid Rs 1 lakh for delivering the vehicle.
After handing over the vehicle in Barasat, Mishra allegedly travelled to Howrah Station, boarded a train to Buxar in Bihar and later went into hiding before his arrest.
The investigation has already led to arrests in two states. Mayank Raj Mishra and Vicky Maurya were detained from Buxar in Bihar, while Raj Singh was apprehended from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh on May 10 following investigative leads.
All three were formally arrested after prolonged interrogation and have been remanded to police custody till May 24.
Investigators are now probing whether a larger organised network orchestrated the movement of men, weapons and vehicles across state lines before the assassination.
Rath was murdered on the night of May 6, just two days after the West Bengal Assembly election results were declared. According to investigators, Rath was returning home from a party programme when his vehicle was intercepted at a crossing in Madhyamgram by the four-wheeler brought from Jharkhand.
Initial findings suggest two motorcycles had been trailing Rath’s vehicle for a considerable distance before the attack.
As Rath’s vehicle came to a halt after being blocked, one of the motorcycles reportedly pulled alongside his car, and an assailant opened fire from close range, shooting nearly ten rounds.
Rath died on the spot, while his driver, Buddhadeb Bera, sustained critical injuries. Officials said Bera is now recovering.
The CBI is now examining the larger conspiracy behind the killing, including the identities of those who financed and coordinated the operation across multiple states.