Murder of Suvendu Adhikari's aide: How UPI payment led to arrest of 3 suspects in UP

Two days after the results declaration of the West Bengal assembly elections, Rath was shot dead in the Madhyamgram area.

Three individuals were arrested from Uttar Pradesh in links with the killing of an aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, police informed on Monday.

The accused were detained on Sunday and were later apprehended by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the murder of Chandranath Rath, that took place in in North 24 Parganas district's Madhyamgram area on the night of May 6.

Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram's Doharia Lane, around 7 km from Kolkata airport, on the night of May 6, in what BJP leaders described as a "planned assassination", two days after the results for the West Bengal assembly elections were declared.

The arrested persons were identified as Vishal Srivastava, a resident of Pandiyapatti in Bihar's Buxar district, while the two others are from Uttar Pradesh. The investigators suspect that one of them is a sharpshooter, officials disclosed.

Investigators traced "digital clues and interstate links" in the case, a senior police 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. They will be brought to West Bengal on transit remand," the officer told PTI.

A minimum of eight people were involved in the conspiracy and execution of the murder, he said.

The police assume that the attackers had carried out detailed reconnaissance before targeting Rath, the officer said.

"The murder was executed with meticulous planning. The assailants had taken several measures to conceal their identities and movements. Investigators have been relying heavily on digital footprints, CCTV footage and technical evidence to find out the sequence of events," the official personnel stated.

The interrogation of the arrested individuals are underway, he said.

According to initial investigations, Rath's vehicle was allegedly intercepted by a car near the Doharia area close to Madhyamgram crossing, while a motorcycle stopped beside.

As the probe progressed, it emerged that the car suspected to have been used by the attackers had crossed the Bali toll plaza before the murder.

One of the occupants allegedly paid the toll through a UPI transaction.

"That digital payment helped investigators identify a mobile number and establish the identity of one of the suspects. The trail eventually led our teams to the accused," the officer informed.

Investigators are now matching the identities of the arrested men with CCTV footage and images of the vehicle and its occupants captured at the toll plaza, he said.

The SIT continued to conduct raids in multiple areas across West Bengal to trace the remaining suspects, the officer added.

(with PTI inputs)