Suvendu Adhikari aide murder case: Sixth accused held from Ballia; CBI sends firearm for forensic tests
The Statesman | 22 May 2026
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested a sixth accused in the murder case of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district.
The arrest marks another major development in the high-profile investigation that has already seen multiple arrests across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar since Rath was shot dead earlier this month in North 24 Parganas district, days after the West Bengal Assembly election results.
CBI officials identified the accused as 35-year-old Navin Kumar Singh, a resident of the Zamani area under Fefna police station limits in Ballia district. He was arrested during a joint operation conducted by the CBI and the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Sources aware of the investigation said a firearm recovered from Singh is suspected to be the weapon used in the killing of Rath. The weapon has now been sent for forensic examination to determine whether it matches the firearm used in the crime.
The latest arrest comes a day after the CBI apprehended Vinay Rai alias Pumpum Rai, the fifth accused in the case, from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier, on May 18, the agency had arrested the alleged main shooter, Rajkumar Singh, from Muzaffarnagar with assistance from the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Before the investigation was handed over to the CBI, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the West Bengal Police had arrested three accused, identified as Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya and Raj Singh.
Forty-one-year-old Chandranath Rath, a former Indian Air Force personnel, was shot dead on the night of May 6 in Madhyamgram in the North 24 Parganas district.
According to investigators, Rath was travelling in a car and seated in the front passenger seat when motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted the vehicle, opened fire and fled the spot.
The driver of the vehicle also sustained injuries in the attack.
Both were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Rath was declared dead.
The murder took place within 48 hours of the declaration of the West Bengal Assembly election results, triggering political and security concerns.
The case was initially investigated by the West Bengal Police SIT before being transferred to the CBI owing to the sensitivity and seriousness of the crime.
After taking over the investigation, the CBI formally re-registered the case and added charges related to murder, criminal conspiracy, organised crime and violations under the Arms Act.
The agency is continuing its investigation into the case.