CBI Takes Uttar Pradesh History-Sheeter Into Custody in Chandranath Rath Murder Case

Kolkata/Ballia (Gurpreet Singh): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday took custody of Uttar Pradesh-based history-sheeter Gyanendra Pratap Singh, alias Monu, in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, a former associate of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Singh, a resident of Ballia district, had surrendered before a Gangsters Act court on Thursday in an unrelated case and was subsequently sent to judicial custody in Mau jail. Investigators had earlier identified him as a wanted accused in the Rath murder case.
Acting on a warrant issued by the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) in Barasat, North 24 Parganas, the CBI secured Singh’s custody from Mau district jail and transported him to Kolkata for further questioning.
According to officials, Singh has a criminal record involving 12 registered cases and was already under scrutiny in the high-profile murder investigation. A non-bailable warrant had also been issued against him on May 25 after he failed to appear before a court in connection with a Gangsters Act case registered in 2023 at Bansdih Road police station in Ballia.
The murder case pertains to the killing of Chandranath Rath, who was shot dead in West Bengal on May 6, just two days after the state assembly election results were announced. Following the incident, the investigation was transferred to the CBI.
The case was originally registered at Madhyamgram police station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act.
Investigators have already brought three other accused from Ballia district to Kolkata during the course of the probe. Naveen Kumar Singh of Thamhanpura village and Golu Singh alias Tiger from the Bansdih Road area were earlier taken on transit remand, while another accused, Raj Kumar Singh from Rasra, had also been arrested and shifted to Kolkata.
With Monu Singh now in custody, four individuals from Ballia district have come under the CBI’s scanner in connection with the murder investigation.
Meanwhile, Singh’s wife has maintained that her husband is innocent and has expressed confidence in the ongoing CBI inquiry. A video and a social media post allegedly shared by Singh before his surrender had also surfaced online, in which he demanded a fair investigation and named several individuals as alleged conspirators in the case.
The CBI is continuing its probe to establish the motive and identify the broader conspiracy behind Rath’s killing.