Who is Raj Singh alias Chandan? How a UPI transaction exposed the Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari's PA's assassins

A joint operation by Kolkata and UP Police has led to the arrest of Raj Singh alias Chandan in the murder of CM Suvendu Adhikari's PA, Chandra Nath Rath. Know how a UPI payment at a toll plaza and a "cloned" car led investigators to the Bihar-Purvanchal hit squad.

The joint operation of the Kolkata Police and UP Police has led to the arrest of one of the main accused in the sensational murder case of Chandra Nath Rath, the personal assistant (PA) to West Bengal's CM Suvendu Adhikari. The accused is known as Raj Singh alias Chandan. Singh's arrest has cast light on the involvement of a professional hit-man squad that is alleged to be from Bihar and Purvanchal.

Madhyagram: Place of the ambush

The brutal incident took place on the night of May 6 at Madhyagram, North 24 Parganas. The masked gunmen shot and killed the PA of CM Suvendu in an ambush at the entrance of his SUV. As a result of the murder, an SIT was created, which led the police to discover the whereabouts of the two main accused, Mayank Raj Mishra and Vicky Maurya of Buxar district, Bihar, on the basis of technical intelligence.

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UPI trail - The electronic evidence

Although the attackers took all due precautions regarding the planning of the attack and execution thereof, there was one fatal flaw in the entire plan by the shooters during their escape process. In their bid to evade arrest, the attackers fled in a silver hatchback car but decided to make their payment through UPI at the toll plaza of Bali.

As such, the mobile number used for the payment process became available to the investigating agencies. Further, the High Definition (HD) CCTV cameras that operate at the toll plaza also captured images of the car and its occupiers' faces, which became irrefutable evidence of their identity.

The fake plates & car cloning

The investigation into the matter revealed how the killers tried to fool the law enforcers in their bid to remain undetected. The killers had made use of a silver hatchback whose number plates were cloned. According to reports, the shooters had obtained images of a similar car online and cloned its number plates.

The suspects had reportedly managed to obtain a photograph of a similar vehicle through an online shopping platform and "clone" its number plates. Such methods were meant to mislead investigators into linking the case to the innocent owner of another car in North Bengal, but the digital footprint left at the toll plaza made their efforts futile.

Profile of Raj Singh, the primary accused

Raj Singh, alias Chandan, hails from Anand Nagar, Ballia, and occupies the office of General Secretary in a significant social association (Kshatriya Mahasabha).

Previous case: The accused has been charged in connection with the murder of an egg dealer in 2020 and was on bail during the murder of PA.

Arrest: The accused was captured in Ayodhya while en route from Lucknow, where he had gone for a grand wedding celebration. Reports claimed that his social media accounts have several pictures with influential politicians.

Bihar and Purvanchal connections

According to intelligence, the crime was committed by professional killers hired from the states of Bihar and Purvanchal (Eastern Uttar Pradesh). Mayank and Vicky were caught in Buxar, and the police are investigating the profound connections Raj Singh has with the underworld of Bihar.

The apprehended suspects have been shifted to Kolkata under transit remand. Interrogations are underway to identify the mastermind behind the assassination and to determine the motive for targeting the Chief Minister's close aide.

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