CBI forms 7-member SIT led by a DIG in Suvendu Adhikari’s aide murder case

The Central Bureau of Investigation has formed a seven-member Special Investigation Team led by a Deputy Inspector General to probe the murder of Chandranath Rath, the personal aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The team, headed by DIG Pankaj Kumar Singh, will focus on uncovering a larger conspiracy and the inter-state dimensions of the case. The SIT is in the process of taking over from the local police, collecting documents, and coordinating with forensic experts.

Three suspects — Mayank Raj Mishra and Vicky Maurya from Bihar, and Raj Singh from Uttar Pradesh — have already been arrested in connection with the case. Officials say Singh has a history of involvement in multiple murder cases across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and is believed to be the principal contract killer in Rath’s killing. The SIT will also seek custody of these individuals as the investigation continues.

Rath, 41, a former Indian Air Force serviceman, was shot dead from close range inside his SUV while returning home in the Madhyamgram area of North 24 Parganas. Rath’s driver, Buddhadeb Bera, was hospitalized after the attack, and a third person, Mintu, survived unharmed. The investigation was taken over following a Bengal Police recommendation, and the team arrived at the crime scene with forensic experts to re-create the sequence of events.

The development comes two days after BJP supporters marked a sweeping victory in the state elections, an event that analysts say could influence the political context and urgency of the probe. As the SIT begins its work, prosecutors and investigators have stressed the need for a transparent, meticulously documented inquiry to identify all possible conspirators and their connections across states.

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