CBI takes over probe into Suvendu PA murder

Kolkata: The CBI on Tuesday took over the probe into the murder of Chandranath Rath, Suvendu Adhikari's PA, who was shot dead near his Madhyamgram home on May 6.The state SIT, comprising officers from Bengal STF, CID and Barasat PS, arrested three men—Mayank Raj Mishra, Raj Singh and Vicky Maurya, on Monday. Singh is reportedly the sharp shooter.CBI said a seven-member SIT, led by Pankaj Kumar Singh, DIG (HoB, SC-I, New Delhi), will lead the probe. He will be assisted by SPs Subhas Chandra Kundu and Anil Kumar Yadav from Delhi, three DSPs from Dhanbad, Ranchi and Patna and an inspector from Lucknow. A CBI team visited Dohariya, the spot.Haribansh Singh, lawyer of Singh, a resident of Ballia, UP, expressed anger at the Bengal Police not following legal procedures during the arrest. Singh's mother claimed her son was being framed.According to an SIT officer, Mishra, who was arrested in Buxar, Bihar, came to Bengal in a car. Before the murder, he got out of the car at Birati Mor on Jessore Road and the car headed for Rail Gate 11 in Barasat and took a U-turn. Investigators claimed the car was parked in front of an electronics shop, facing Madhyamgram, from 4.05 pm to 6.55 pm on May 6. It then headed towards Dohariya, where Rath was murdered at 10.08 pm.Police claimed around 10.10 pm, after the operation, sharp shooter Singh, Maurya and Mishra took trains from Sealdah station towards Ballia in UP and Buxar in Bihar. Cops said Singh and Maurya were contract killers and that the person who hired the two assassins was at large.Investigators face several important questions, the most important being the motive for the murder. Multiple sources said Singh, who has several criminal cases including murder, was associated with a political party and that he shot Rath. Maurya was also present during the shooting. A sum of Rs 1.5 crore was reportedly paid for hiring the assassins and for related expenses.Police reached Dhanbad by tracing a recovered motorcycle, which had a fake number plate. The actual owner of the number told police his wife used the motorcycle.A state police team questioned several people at Jorapokhar in Jharkhand. An officer claimed the vehicle used in the incident was bought from Jharkhand. The name of a gang, Sheru Gang, came up in the probe. Dhanbad's SSP Prabodh Kumar said two others were being questioned over the supply of weapons.