Barasat, North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], May 11 (ANI): A court in Barasat on Monday sent three accused arrested in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, to 13 days of police custody.
The court remanded the accused–Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya and Raj Singh–to police custody till May 24 after they were produced before the judiciary following their arrest from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Public Prosecutor Advocate Bivas Chatterjee said the prosecution also sought additional charges related to the destruction of evidence, which were added by the court.
“Three persons have been arrested, and the court has sent them to police custody till May 24, i.e., 13 days of police custody. We also sought for the addition of the section relating to the destruction of evidence, which has been added by the court,” Chatterjee told the reporters.
According to police, the arrests were made in connection with Madhyamgram Police Station Case No. 353 dated May 6, registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act.
Mayank Raj Mishra and Vicky Maurya were detained from Buxar in Bihar, while Raj Singh was apprehended from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh on May 10 based on investigative leads. All three were formally arrested after interrogation on Monday morning.
Chandranath Rath, a former Indian Air Force personnel and aide to Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead near Madhyamgram on May 6 late at night. He later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Adhikari had termed the killing a “premeditated murder,” alleging that Rath was targeted due to his association with him and his political victory over ex-Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur.
“This was a planned operation. A recce was conducted for several days, and the victim was followed before being shot at close range,” Adhikari had earlier said.
The ruling Trinamool Congress has demanded a court-monitored CBI probe into the incident, calling for an impartial investigation. The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee has also sought a judicially supervised independent probe and strict punishment for those involved. (ANI)