Bengal SIT visits Uttar Pradesh for probe into murder of Suvendu Adhikari’s aide

The Bengal State Investigation Team (SIT) carried out inquiries in Uttar Pradesh as part of the investigation into the murder of Suvendu Adhikari’s aide. UP DGP Rajeev Krishna confirmed the visit and said investigators have not found anything substantial linked to the case so far. The probe followed findings that the number plate attached to the car used to intercept Rath’s vehicle was registered in the name of Siliguri resident James Williams, who had advertised his Nissan Micra for sale. Williams was contacted by Uttar Pradesh-based individuals interested in purchasing the vehicle; the SIT travelled to UP to identify and question those individuals and verify whether the registration details had been misused by the attackers. Investigators suspect the assailants may have used cloned or fake number plates to conceal the vehicle’s identity. The SIT examined communication records, call details and digital exchanges related to the UP contacts to assess any direct or indirect involvement in the conspiracy. Police believe the killing involved about eight people, including two sharpshooters, coordinated via a WhatsApp group for real-time updates. The cross-state dimension prompted Bengal Police to alert border districts and increase surveillance at transit points, with CCTV footage being scanned for movements of suspects and vehicles connected to the crime. Authorities have recovered a second motorcycle from Barasat, North 24 Parganas, and a red car seen in CCTV footage is also suspected to have been used by the attackers to flee.