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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the murder investigation of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant of the West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
According to sources, the CBI has formed a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), which will be led by a DIG-rank officer. Chandranath Rath, 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. The court has remanded three accused--Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya, and Raj Singh to police custody till May 24, 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. 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. 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. Trinamool Congress had demanded a court-monitored CBI investigation into the incident, calling for an impartial and thorough inquiry. The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee also demanded an independent investigation under judicial supervision. (ANI)
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