In a major breakthrough in the Chandranath Rath murder investigation, Vinay Rai, alias Pampam Rai, a key accused allegedly involved in the conspiracy behind the killing, was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Monday night, according to reports.
Rai, considered a dreaded criminal and history-sheeter, is the fifth person to be arrested in connection with the sensational murder case involving Chandranath Rath, the executive assistant to senior BJP leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Following his arrest, Rai was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Varanasi, which granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) transit remand until 6 pm on May 21, regional media reports stated.
A resident of Deoria village in the Zamania region of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district, Rai is believed to operate a truck transport business across Bihar and Jharkhand. Police records reportedly show multiple serious criminal cases registered against him in Ghazipur and Delhi, including charges of murder, attempted murder and criminal conspiracy.
Meanwhile, reports regarding the alleged surrender of another accused, Santosh Rai, in Bihar remained unconfirmed as of Tuesday.
Earlier, on May 11, the CBI arrested another accused, Raj Kumar Singh, from Muzaffarnagar in connection with the case. Though not considered a hardened criminal, Singh was reportedly known for involvement in local altercations and maintaining minimal contact with villagers.
Chandranath Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram on May 6, just two days after the declaration of the fiercely contested West Bengal Assembly election results. The killing took place on a public road in the Doharia area of Madhyamgram, sending shockwaves through the state’s political circles.
The high-profile case continues to remain under intense scrutiny as investigators pursue all possible links behind the murder conspiracy.
