Kolkata: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari who is now the chief minister, has found that the attackers had prior knowledge of Rath’s exact position inside the vehicle as he traveled home on Wednesday night.
Three individuals have been taken into custody in connection with the slaying and are under interrogation, police stated, noting that no formal arrests have been made so yet.
Investigators believe bike-borne gunmen, brought from outside West Bengal, carried out the hit with meticulous preparation, gunning down Rath in his car on a crowded road in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas district, in just 45 to 50 seconds.
“It appears that the shooters knew exactly where the target was seated inside the vehicle. The execution was swift and professionally coordinated,” a senior SIT officer told PTI.
Police said the perpetrators fled on a motorcycle.
“CCTV footage collected from the area indicates the presence of another vehicle trailing the silver car. We are examining all movement patterns and escape routes,” the officer said.
The SIT assesses that a minimum of eight persons participated in the plot, encompassing local criminal elements who supplied logistical aid to the shooters.
Investigators recovered one motorcycle close to the No. 11 rail gate in Barasat on Friday morning. Another bike was discovered earlier near the crime scene.
Preliminary probes reveal the red car and motorcycles were stolen beforehand, according to a police official.
Two police squads have been sent to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, as sleuths suspect the marksmen hailed from those states, he said.
