The Bengal Special Task Force has detained three suspects, including Vishal Srivastava, in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath [1].
Rath served as the personal assistant to politician Suvendu Adhikari. The investigation into the killing suggests a targeted assassination that may be linked to political rivalries, highlighting the volatile security environment surrounding high-profile political figures in the region.
Investigators said the attack was a 50-second ambush [1]. The operation was carried out by professional sharpshooters who targeted Rath at a highway toll plaza in West Bengal [1]. The victim sustained bullet injuries to the left chest and the right side of the abdomen [2].
According to the Special Task Force, the killing was not a random act of violence. Evidence suggests the ambush was planned over a period of three to four days [2]. The precision and timing of the attack indicate the involvement of professional killers brought in from outside the state.
Police have traced links to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand during the investigation [1]. Vishal Srivastava, who is from Buxar, Bihar, was among those arrested by the agency [1]. The breakthrough in the case came after investigators tracked a UPI payment and reviewed CCTV footage of a silver car at the toll plaza [1].
Authorities continue to probe the network behind the hit to determine who commissioned the sharpshooters. The use of out-of-state operatives is a common tactic used to evade local law enforcement and obscure the origins of political violence.
“The investigation into the killing suggests a targeted assassination that may be linked to political rivalries.”
The use of professional sharpshooters from multiple states—Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand—indicates a sophisticated level of coordination beyond local street violence. By employing 'contract' killers from outside West Bengal, the perpetrators attempted to sever the direct link between the organizers and the execution of the crime. The reliance on digital footprints, such as UPI payments, demonstrates how financial technology is now a primary tool for law enforcement to dismantle professional hit networks.
