Raj Sharpshooter
Kolkata: The investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, took a dramatic turn after the mother of arrested Ballia resident and alleged sharpshooter Raj Singh claimed her son was in Uttar Pradesh at the time of the killing.
Speaking to journalists at her residence, Jamvanti Singh said Raj Singh had travelled with family members to Lucknow and later to Ayodhya and Ambedkar Nagar during the period when the ambush took place in Madhyamgram area of North 24 Parganas district on May 6.
According to her, the family had gone to Lucknow on May 7 to attend the wedding ceremony of the daughter of a local MLC identified as Pappu Singh. She claimed Raj Singh accompanied her along with a driver, one friend and another acquaintance.
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“We stayed at a guest house near the wedding venue. Raj attended the wedding and returned around midnight. We slept there and the next morning got ready to leave for Ambedkar Nagar,” Jamvanti told reporters.
She further alleged that after leaving Lucknow, the family visited the shrine of Makhdoom Ashraf Baba in Ambedkar Nagar, where they offered a ceremonial chadar. According to her, several local people at the shrine knew Raj Singh and could confirm his presence there.
The claims have added a fresh layer of complexity to the high-profile murder investigation, which has already sparked political attention in West Bengal.
Raj Singh was earlier arrested in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. Investigating agencies suspect the involvement of hired shooters in the attack, though officials have not publicly revealed complete details of the evidence gathered so far.
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Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which recently took over the probe, is expected to verify the claims made by the accused’s family and examine travel records, CCTV footage and witness statements linked to the alleged alibi.
The murder case continues to generate political debate as investigators attempt to uncover the motive and wider conspiracy behind the killing.
