- CBI will take over the Chandranath Rath murder probe from West Bengal Police today
- A Special Investigation Team under CBI Kolkata Zone Joint Director will handle the case
- Rath was killed on May 6 by bike-borne assailants after West Bengal Assembly election results
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will take over the probe into the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, from today.
The West Bengal Police had earlier recommended a CBI investigation into the case.
The central agency will formally assume charge of the probe from the state police today.
According to a press release by CBI, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be constituted to handle the case. The SIT will function under the supervision of the Joint Director/Head of Zone (HoZ), Kolkata Zone.
The Joint Director/HoZ, Kolkata Zone, will include officers and officials from the Kolkata Zone in the SIT as per requirement to ensure an effective investigation.
The development comes after three sharpshooters were arrested in Uttar Pradesh. The three accused were arrested by the West Bengal Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT). The three accused were remanded to 13-day police custody after they were brought to West Bengal and produced before a court in North 24 Paraganas district, an officer said.
"This is a breakthrough. The investigation indicated that the assailants were from outside West Bengal. Based on technical surveillance, digital tracking and other inputs, members of the SIT were sent to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They arrested the three persons from UP and Bihar. They have been brought to West Bengal on transit remand," the officer told news agency PTI.
Chandranath Rath was shot dead by bike-borne assailants on May 6. Rath was murdered on the night of May 6, just two days after the West Bengal Assembly election results were declared on May 4, in which the BJP secured victory in 207 constituencies, reducing the Trinamool Congress to 80.
On the night of the incident, Rath was returning home to Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district after attending a party programme when his vehicle was intercepted at a crossing by a four-wheeler.
According to the initial investigation, after Rath's vehicle was blocked, one of the two motorcycles that had been tailing him approached alongside. An assailant riding the motorcycle opened fire, shooting about 10 rounds from close range. Rath died on the spot, while his driver, Buddhadeb Bera, was critically injured. Bera is now recovering.
