• Source:JND

The Special Task Force (STF) of the Bengal Police late Sunday night arrested three accused linked to the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. One of the key accused arrested in the case is Raj Singh, a resident of Ballia in Uttar Pradesh.

Who Is Raj Singh?

Raj Singh hails from Anand Nagar in Ballia and had earlier contested the councillor election from Ward No. 15. His father, Keshav Singh, is deceased, while his mother Jamwanti Singh has reportedly locked the family house and moved away. The residence in Anand Nagar remained locked on Monday.

Raj’s name had also reportedly surfaced in a firing incident involving an egg vendor in the Sadar Kotwali area around three years ago, though no official statement has been issued by police regarding the matter.

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He completed his education at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth and was said to enjoy political influence locally. On his Facebook profile, Raj describes himself as the State General Secretary of the All India Kshatriya Mahasabha and had also posted about “Mission 2026” in connection with the Chilkhar Block chief.

News of his arrest triggered intense discussions in Ballia’s Anand Nagar locality, while local police also went on alert following the Bengal STF’s action.

Arrests In UP And Bihar

According to reports, Raj Singh was detained in Ayodhya while returning from a wedding ceremony in Lucknow. The two other accused, Mayank Mishra and Vicky Maurya, were arrested from Bihar’s Buxar district. Another alleged criminal, Vishal Srivastava of Buxar, was questioned by police but later released after investigators reportedly found no direct involvement.

Police suspect the murder was carried out by professional shooters in a highly coordinated operation. Investigators believe at least eight people may have been involved in the killing.

Raj Singh, identified by investigators as the alleged shooter, has now been taken to West Bengal by Kolkata Police for further interrogation.

Mother Claims Raj Singh Is Innocent

Five days after Chandranath Rath’s murder, Raj Singh’s mother Jamwanti Singh accused the police of falsely implicating her son and claimed he had no role in the conspiracy.

She submitted a written complaint to the DIG of Azamgarh Range, stating that she and Raj were in Ayodhya on the morning of May 9, 2026.

Her statement read, “We went to visit the temple at 8:30 am with my son Raj Singh. After visiting Ayodhya, we had dinner at a hotel. While returning to Ballia, five men suddenly appeared, grabbed my son, and took him to the police station.”

She further alleged that on May 10, police officials took Raj away while claiming he had been arrested in Buxar before transferring him to Bengal.

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Raj’s mother also told the media that they had travelled to Lucknow to attend a wedding at the residence of a political leader. “My driver, Om Prakash Singh, was also with us. Another boy had gone to take photographs. Monu Singh, a friend of Raj’s, was also there,” she said.

Describing the sequence of events, she added, “The boys attended the wedding while I stayed at the guest house. Around midnight, they returned and we all went to sleep. The next morning, after getting ready, we went to Kishauchha Sharif in Ambedkar Nagar.”

Rejecting allegations linking her son to the murder, Jamwanti Singh said, “We have no relatives in Kolkata, and I have never been there with my son. We have no acquaintances there, nor have we ever been there. I don't know why my son is being framed.”

“He deserves justice. I urge the government to investigate all the evidence. I have proof that he was in Lucknow. He was shopping in the market, and his mobile phone records should be tracked and verified,” she added.

The murder of Chandranath Rath, described by CM Suvendu Adhikari as a “pre-planned murder,” has triggered a massive multi-state investigation involving Bengal STF, CID and police teams from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.


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