CBI arrests sixth accused in Chandranath Rath murder case from UP's Ballia
Synopsis
The CBI has made its sixth arrest in the Chandranath Rath murder case — and this time, the suspect may be holding the actual murder weapon. With arrests spanning Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and organised crime sections invoked, the probe is widening fast, raising questions about who ordered the killing of a senior political aide just hours after West Bengal's election results.
Key Takeaways
The CBI arrested Navin Kumar Singh , 35 , from Ballia, Uttar Pradesh on 21 May — the sixth accused in the Chandranath Rath murder case.
A weapon recovered from Singh is suspected to be the firearm used in the murder; forensic tests are underway.
Chandranath Rath , 41 , personal assistant to Suvendu Adhikari and a former Indian Air Force serviceman, was shot dead in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas on 6 May .
The murder occurred within 48 hours of the West Bengal Assembly election results .
The CBI has invoked organised crime and criminal conspiracy sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 .
Six accused are now in custody; earlier arrests were made from Varanasi , Muzaffarnagar , and Buxar .
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, 21 May arrested the sixth accused in the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, from Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh. The arrest brings the total number of accused in custody to six, with the CBI steadily tightening its net across multiple states.
Who Was Arrested
The arrested individual has been identified as Navin Kumar Singh, 35, a resident of the Zamani area under the Fefna police station limits in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. He was apprehended during a joint operation conducted by the CBI and the Uttar Pradesh Police.
According to officials, a weapon recovered from Singh is suspected to be the same firearm used in Rath's killing. The weapon has been dispatched for forensic examination to confirm whether it matches the murder weapon.
Sequence of Arrests
The CBI's sixth arrest follows a rapid series of detentions. On Wednesday, 20 May, the agency arrested the fifth accused, Vinay Rai alias Pumpum Rai, 40, from Varanasi. On 18 May, the alleged main shooter, Rajkumar Singh, was arrested from Muzaffarnagar, also with the assistance of the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Before the CBI assumed charge, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the West Bengal Police had arrested three accused — Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya, and Raj Singh — two from Uttar Pradesh and one alleged sharpshooter from Buxar, Bihar.
The Murder: What Happened on 6 May
Chandranath Rath, 41, a former Indian Air Force serviceman, was shot dead in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district on the night of 6 May. He was seated in the front passenger seat of a car when assailants arrived on a motorcycle, opened fire, and fled immediately.
The driver of the vehicle also sustained injuries. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Rath dead. Notably, the killing occurred within 48 hours of the announcement of the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly election results, lending the case immediate political gravity.
CBI Takeover and Legal Sections Invoked
Given the gravity and sensitivity of the crime, the case was transferred from the West Bengal Police to the CBI. After re-registering the matter, the agency invoked multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including Section 103(1) (murder), Section 61(1) (criminal conspiracy), and Section 111(2)(a) (organised crime). Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act have also been invoked.
Investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are not ruled out as forensic results are awaited.
Point of View
Not a lone motive. The proximity of the murder to West Bengal's election results has never been officially addressed, but it hangs over every development. The real question — who commissioned the killing — remains publicly unanswered, and the CBI's pace will be judged by whether it moves up the chain or stops at the shooters.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Chandranath Rath and why was he murdered?
Chandranath Rath, 41, was the personal assistant of West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and a former Indian Air Force serviceman. He was shot dead in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas on 6 May, within 48 hours of the West Bengal Assembly election results. The motive has not been officially established; the CBI has invoked organised crime and criminal conspiracy sections.
Who is the sixth accused arrested by the CBI?
The sixth accused is Navin Kumar Singh, 35, a resident of the Zamani area under Fefna police station limits in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested on 21 May in a joint operation by the CBI and Uttar Pradesh Police. A weapon recovered from him is suspected to be the murder firearm, pending forensic confirmation.
How many people have been arrested in the Chandranath Rath murder case so far?
Six people have been arrested in total. The West Bengal Police SIT first arrested three accused — Mayank Raj Mishra, Vicky Maurya, and Raj Singh. After the CBI took over, it arrested the alleged main shooter Rajkumar Singh from Muzaffarnagar, Vinay Rai alias Pumpum Rai from Varanasi, and Navin Kumar Singh from Ballia.
Why was the case transferred from West Bengal Police to the CBI?
The case was handed over to the CBI due to the gravity and sensitivity of the crime, particularly given the victim's proximity to a senior political figure and the timing of the murder relative to election results. The CBI re-registered the case and invoked stronger legal provisions including organised crime under the BNS, 2023.
What legal sections have been invoked in the Chandranath Rath murder case?
The CBI has invoked Section 103(1) (murder), Section 61(1) (criminal conspiracy), and Section 111(2)(a) (organised crime) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act have also been applied in connection with the recovered weapon.
