Three persons were arrested from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, an aide of West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, police said on Monday.
The arrests were made by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the killing, which took place in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district on the night of May 6. According to police, investigators tracked digital evidence and interstate links to identify the accused.
The three suspects were produced in court on Monday and were remanded to police custody till May 24. The three were brought from UP to West Bengal and produced before the Barasat court in North 24 Paraganas district. They were charged with murder, possession of illegal arms, criminal conspiracy, and suppression of evidence under various sections of BNS, he said.
One of the arrested persons were identified as Vishal Srivastava, a resident of Pandiyapatti in Bihar’s Buxar district, and two others from Uttar Pradesh. Investigators suspect that one of the accused is a sharpshooter.
Police said at least eight people were involved in planning and executing the murder. Investigators also believe the attackers conducted detailed reconnaissance before targeting Rath.
"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 officer added.
The interrogation of the arrested persons is underway, he said.
Investigators had earlier identified the weapon allegedly used in the murder as an Austrian-made Glock 47X pistol, a sophisticated firearm whose reported use raised concerns within both state and central intelligence agencies.
Officials said the recovery of details related to the Glock pistol prompted agencies to explore possible cross-border or international links behind the crime, given the weapon’s limited availability in India.
Probe agencies are also examining whether Bangladesh may have been used as a transit route by organised criminal or hostile foreign networks. “All angles remain under investigation, including the possible involvement of external operatives,” an officer had said to PTI.
According to preliminary investigations, Rath's vehicle was allegedly intercepted by a car near the Doharia area close to Madhyamgram crossing, while a motorcycle stopped alongside.
During the probe, it emerged that the car suspected to have been used by the attackers had crossed the Bali toll plaza before the murder. It was earlier reported that the registration plates of all the vehicles were allegedly forged, and their engine and chassis numbers were tampered with.
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 said.
Sleuths 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.
Two days after the declaration of the fiercely fought West Bengal assembly poll results, Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram.
The SIT continued to conduct raids in multiple areas across West Bengal to trace the remaining suspects, the officer added.
(WIth inputs from PTI)