West Bengal CM's Aide Murder Case Reaches UP; Police Team Arrives In Badaun Tracking Suspects

Lucknow: The investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has now reached Uttar Pradesh, with a team of West Bengal Police arriving in Badaun late Friday night while tracking suspects through mobile phone records and technical surveillance.

Bengal Police followed technical inputs to UP location

Police sources said the Bengal Police team was following leads linked to the murder case when call detail records and mobile locations connected to suspects surfaced in the Gunnaur area of Sambhal district.

Acting on the technical inputs, the investigators travelled to Uttar Pradesh to conduct raids and gather further evidence.

Gunnaur was earlier part of Badaun district

However, officials said the police team initially reached Badaun due to confusion related to older administrative records. Gunnaur was earlier part of Badaun district before being included in Sambhal district after the latter’s formation. Relying on previous jurisdictional information, the police team reportedly arrived in Badaun before being informed about the revised district boundaries.

Sources said the visiting team met Senior Superintendent of Police Ankita Sharma late in the night and briefed local officers about the developments in the case. The Bengal Police team also shared technical evidence, including mobile call records and location tracking details linked to suspected persons. After obtaining the necessary local inputs and clarifying the route and jurisdiction, the team later left for Sambhal district.

Mobile surveillance key to tracing accused persons

The murder case has triggered extensive interstate searches by West Bengal Police and a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which are pursuing suspects across multiple states. Investigating agencies are relying on mobile surveillance, digital tracking and other technical evidence to trace the accused and uncover the wider conspiracy behind the killing.

Investigators suspect the involvement of a professional contract killing network with possible links extending from within prisons to operatives based in Uttar Pradesh. Sources said the SIT is probing whether the murder was executed through an organised interstate syndicate.

Investigators tracing communication trail for link

During the investigation, police also came across a lead connected to a vehicle allegedly used in the crime. According to sources, a Siliguri-based vehicle owner had posted an online advertisement to sell his car and later received a call from a person claiming to be a buyer from Uttar Pradesh. Investigators suspect the contact may be linked to the accused and are tracing the communication trail.

Police are also searching for a suspicious red four-wheeler believed to have been used in the murder. Preliminary findings suggest that seven to eight people may have been travelling in the vehicle, which is suspected to be registered outside West Bengal. Surveillance footage and transport records are being examined to identify the vehicle and its occupants.

The sudden arrival of the West Bengal Police team in Badaun created considerable activity within the local police department late at night. However, no arrests had been officially confirmed till Friday night. Senior police officials have so far refrained from sharing detailed information, citing the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation.

The murder of Rath has emerged as a politically sensitive case in West Bengal because of his close association with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. With the investigation now spreading to Uttar Pradesh, police agencies are expected to intensify coordinated searches and technical surveillance in the coming days.