A Special Investigation Team (SIT) from West Bengal visited Uttar Pradesh as part of the investigation into the murder of BJP legislature party leader Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant Chandranath Rath following suspicion of a possible Uttar Pradesh link connected to a vehicle allegedly used in the crime.
A visual of a vehicle seized in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, near Madhyamgram, in North 24 Parganas on Thursday. (ANI)
Confirming the development, Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna said the Bengal SIT carried out inquiries in the state, but investigators have not found anything substantial linked to the murder so far.
“Yes, the team visited Uttar Pradesh during the investigation, but nothing substantial related to the case has emerged till now,” Krishna said.
According to investigators, the probe reached Uttar Pradesh after police found that the number plate attached to the car used to intercept Rath’s vehicle was registered in the name of a Siliguri resident, James Williams.
Officials said Williams had earlier advertised his Nissan Micra car for sale and was contacted by some persons from Uttar Pradesh who expressed interest in purchasing the vehicle.
The Bengal SIT subsequently travelled to Uttar Pradesh to identify and question those individuals and verify whether the vehicle registration details had been misused by the attackers.
Investigators suspect the assailants may have used cloned or fake number plates to conceal the actual vehicle’s identity involved in the murder and evade detection.
Sources said the SIT examined communication records, call details and digital exchanges connected to the Uttar Pradesh-based contacts as part of efforts to establish whether they had any direct or indirect role in the conspiracy.
Police suspect the killing was executed by an organised network involving around eight persons, including two sharpshooters, who allegedly coordinated through a WhatsApp group used for real-time sharing of information during the operation.
The interstate angle prompted West Bengal Police to alert border districts and increase surveillance at transit points. CCTV footage from multiple locations is being scanned to trace the movement of suspects and vehicles linked to the crime.
Investigators have already recovered a second motorcycle allegedly used in the attack from Barasat in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. A red car seen in CCTV footage is also suspected to have been used by the assailants to flee after the killing.
