CBI arrests two key suspects in murder of West Bengal CM’s aide Chandranath Rath

On Friday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two main suspects in the murder of Chandranath Rath, who was a close aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Officials said these arrests may be connected to a rival political party member. The suspects, brothers Sagar Sonkar and Sahib Sonkar, had both worked with Rath in the past.

CBI officials said that while working for Rath, Sagar Sonkar often called a rival political party office using a landline. The agency is now looking into these calls as part of its wider investigation. The brothers were produced before the designated court in Kolkata. Rath, who had served in the Indian Air Force and was a trusted aide to Adhikari, was shot and killed on May 6 near Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district when attackers on motorcycles stopped his car and fired at close range.

The murder took place two days after the West Bengal Assembly election results, when the BJP won by a large margin, and Adhikari became Chief Minister. The attack happened in a busy area near Kolkata airport, leading to political controversy and calls for a thorough investigation. Initially, the West Bengal Police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and quickly arrested suspected contract killers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Later, the case was transferred to the CBI, which filed its own FIR and set up a special team to look into the motive, financial dealings, and who may have ordered the killing.

CBI sources said the Sonkar brothers were familiar with Rath’s schedule because they had worked closely with him. The agency is reviewing call records, focusing on Sagar Sonkar’s landline calls to a rival party office, to see if these were part of a larger political plot.

Officials said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests could follow as they uncover the network of handlers, intermediaries, and shooters. The murder raised tensions in the state after the elections. Adhikari described the killing as a targeted assassination connected to Rath’s role in the BJP’s victory. Opposition parties condemned the violence and called for a transparent investigation.

The CBI’s recent actions are seen as progress in finding both the killers and those who may have planned the attack. Rath, who was from East Medinipur, spent almost twenty years in the Indian Air Force before joining Adhikari’s political team.

Colleagues described him as a quiet organiser who liked to work behind the scenes. His death left a gap in the Chief Minister’s inner circle and highlighted ongoing issues with political violence in West Bengal after the elections.

Investigators are reviewing new evidence alongside earlier findings about the vehicles, weapons, and scouting activities used by the attackers before May 6.

The agency says it is following every lead and aims to uncover the full conspiracy, including any possible political connections. More updates will be shared as the special court proceedings move forward, agency officials said.