The CBI has launched a probe into the murder of Suvendu Adhikari's aide, Chandranath Rath, suspecting a meticulously planned contract killing with potential interstate criminal links.
An SIT of the CBI, accompanied by forensic experts, visited the scene of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's aide Chandranath Rath in North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday as investigators intensified efforts to crack the case, which they suspect was a meticulously planned contract killing, police sources said.
It appears that more than Rs one crore was spent to kill Rath inside his car on a public road in Madhyamgram on May 6, two days after the declaration of the West Bengal Assembly polls results.
The CBI team, led by DIG Pankaj Kumar Singh, spent several hours at the crime scene examining the sequence of events and reviewing evidence collected earlier.
Following a request from the West Bengal government, the CBI on Monday took over the investigation from the state police and registered an FIR in the murder case.
The team from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) of Kolkata, comprising three specialists, collected fresh blood samples and other scientific evidence from the spot to aid the investigation.
The area continued to remain under heavy police barricades on Tuesday, with residents and commuters having to cross multiple security checks to move through the locality.
Investigators believe the murder was executed with careful planning and substantial financial backing.
According to police sources, the person or group behind the "supari" killing may have spent more than Rs one crore on the operation.
"One of the two firearms used in the murder is suspected to be worth over Rs 10 lakh in the illegal market," a police officer said.
The cost of hiring sharpshooters, conducting reconnaissance of the area, and arranging motorcycles and vehicles for escape indicated that the conspiracy involved significant logistical support and funding, he added.
"Who invested such a huge amount of money and why remain the biggest questions before investigators at this stage," a senior officer associated with the probe said.
The CBI and forensic teams are now analysing ballistic evidence and other materials collected from the scene as part of the ongoing investigation.
The central agency took over the investigation on Monday night and formed a multi-disciplinary team to ensure a comprehensive and time-bound investigation into the case.
"All possible angles, including interstate criminal links and conspiracy, are being examined. The CBI's special investigation team (SIT) will now focus on unravelling the larger conspiracy behind the murder," a senior official said.
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram's Doharia Lane, around 7 km from Kolkata airport, on the night of May 6, in what BJP leaders described as a "planned assassination".
Rath's SUV was intercepted by a silver car near his residence, following which armed men on two-wheelers opened fire, killing him.
The assailants then abandoned the silver car and fled in a red car and a motorcycle. Two motorcycles linked to the crime were later found, one near the spot and another in Barasat, around 6 km away.
The registration plates of all the vehicles were allegedly forged, and their engine and chassis numbers were tampered with, police said.
Three persons, including a "sharp shooter", were arrested from UP and Bihar in connection with the killing. They were identified as Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya and Raj Singh.
The accused were traced following a UPI payment made at a toll plaza in Howrah's Bally, police said.
Investigators have been suspecting the involvement of interstate criminal operatives due to the manner in which the killing was executed.
Officers of the SIT, earlier formed by the West Bengal Police, said at least eight people could have been involved in the killing.
Investigators claimed that the accused repeatedly changed their statements during interrogation. A court has remanded them to 13 days of police custody till May 24.
"The accused are being questioned to ascertain how they received precise information regarding Rath's movements and who else was present at the crime scene," an officer said.
However, investigators have not yet disclosed who masterminded the killing, who financed the alleged contract hit, or the motive behind it.