In a major breakthrough in the sensational murder case of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, police have arrested three alleged assailants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh after tracking a digital UPI payment made at a toll plaza near Kolkata.

The accused, identified as Vishal Srivastava, Raj Singh and Mayank Mishra, were apprehended during a joint operation conducted by the West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar police teams. Investigators said a crucial digital transaction made through UPI at a toll booth in Bally provided the key lead that ultimately exposed the movement of the killers.

Chandranath Rath was gunned down late Wednesday night in the Madhyamgram area of North 24 Parganas district, triggering widespread outrage and raising serious concerns over political security in the state. According to investigators, Rath was returning home in his Mahindra Scorpio SUV when the attack took place between 10 pm and 10:10 pm. He was seated in the front passenger seat and was reportedly less than 200 metres away from his residence when the assailants struck.

Police sources said Rath’s vehicle was intercepted by a silver-coloured Nissan Micra, following which bike-borne gunmen opened fire at close range. After carrying out the attack, the accused allegedly abandoned the Micra and escaped using another red-coloured car and a motorcycle.

Following the murder, investigators launched an extensive manhunt and examined CCTV footage from multiple locations across Kolkata and adjoining districts. During the investigation, police identified the suspects’ vehicle at a toll plaza where a UPI transaction had been made. Officials said the digital payment helped investigators trace the movement and identities of the accused, eventually leading to coordinated raids in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

According to police officials, all three arrested individuals are believed to be professional contract killers with criminal backgrounds. Vishal Srivastava is reportedly a resident of Buxar district in Bihar, while Raj Singh and Mayank Mishra hail from Uttar Pradesh.

Security agencies are now probing the larger conspiracy behind the killing, including possible links, motive and whether the murder was politically orchestrated. Senior police officials stated that further interrogation of the accused is underway and additional arrests may follow in the coming days.

The shocking killing of a close aide to the newly sworn-in Chief Minister has intensified political tensions in West Bengal, with opposition parties and ruling leaders trading allegations over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.