How a UPI payment helped police nab killers of Suvendu Adhikari’s aide

After days of a manhunt, three people have been arrested in the killing of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of West Bengal's newly elected Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

The arrested men are identified as Vishal Srivastava, Raj Singh and Mayank Mishra. They were all nabbed in a joint operation by the police of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

Police tracked the UPI payment made by the assailants at a toll booth in Bally near Kolkata, leading to the arrest of the attackers.

Rath was shot dead at point-blank range on Wednesday night (May 6), between 10 pm and 10:10 pm. His SUV was stopped about 200 metres from his residence, in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas district.

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Movements tracked, 40-minute wait… How the killing of Suvendu’s personal aide unfolded in West Bengal

Who was Chandranath Rath, ex-air force veteran and Suvendu Adhikari’s aide shot dead in Bengal?

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Three nabbed through UPI payment

The preliminary probe revealed that Adhikari's aide's SUV was blocked by a silver-coloured Nissan Micra, after which bike-borne assailants shot him. The attackers then ditched the silver-coloured Nissan Micra and escaped using another red car and a bike.

The investigators scanned the CCTV footage and tracked the car, which was seen making a payment at the toll plaza. According to cops, all three arrested men were travelling together in the same car and had made a UPI payment at a toll booth.

This digital trail enabled the cops to track the vehicle’s movement as it crossed the toll plaza and headed to Kolkata, serving as the crucial link that led officials to Rath's killers.

As part of the probe, police have seized the silver Nissan Micra allegedly used in the crime, along with two motorcycles. One was recovered near the crime scene, and the other from Barasat, West Bengal.

Are the arrested men professional killers?

The three arrested men are professional killers, according to officials probing the matter, NDTV reported. Vishal hails from Buxar in Bihar, while the other two accused are reportedly from Uttar Pradesh.

He is also believed to have over 15 criminal cases registered against him, including charges of murder and robbery. All three accused will be presented in the Barasat court in Bengal today (May 11).

During the investigation, the cops have found two bikes and seized a Micra car so far. The probe suggests that all three vehicles were stolen and that the car had a fake number plate.

Bengal's DGP Siddh Nath Gupta said: "The four-wheeler used in the crime has been seized, but it is being reported that the number plate is fake and has been tampered with."

On Friday (May 8), cops traced the owner of one of the two motorcycles and discovered that it had been stolen. The bike had been registered in the name of Vibhash Kumar Bhattacharya on May 4, 2012, according to reports.

Movements tracked, 40-minute wait... The murder of Rath

The police have noted that the crime suggests extensive planning — the attackers reportedly waited at the scene of the murder for around 40 minutes.

Eyewitnesses recounted the ordeal leading to Rath’s death. One of them told news agency ANI that the attack was carried out at “point-blank range” by a bike-borne assailant.

The witness said Rath’s car had just crossed his vehicle when it suddenly stopped on the road, and a man on a motorcycle opened fire from the left side of the SUV. “The person seemed to be an expert and fled immediately,” the eyewitness added, saying that he heard “the sound of two rounds” during the firing.

A police official also told News18 that the plot to kill Rath was well-planned and hatched. “The conspiracy was hatched over the last three days; it was planned and rehearsed. Chandranath Rath was followed, his schedule was closely monitored, and his movement marked,” the official was quoted as saying.

“A cold-blooded and pre-planned murder,” said the BJP leader on the killing of his close aide. He also alleged that the killers had carried out “recce for two to three days”.

Rath's mother, Hasirani Rath, claimed the TMC's "gundagardi" (hooliganism) killed her son. In an interview with the publication, she said, "I hold the TMC responsible, it's their gundagardi, they are behind this."

Meanwhile, investigators have ensured efforts are ongoing to trace and arrest all those involved in the killing.

The 41-year-old Rath was a key backroom figure in BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s political operations and an ex-air force veteran. Those who knew Rath described him as a soft-spoken, disciplined person.

With inputs from agencies