Kolkata, July 31 -- In a major breakthrough in the high-profile murder of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's former personal assistant Chandranath Rath, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two prime accused, Sagar Sonkar and Sahib Sonkar, two brothers for allegedly orchestrating the contract killing.
Investigators revealed that the Sonkar brothers, who were former associates of the victim, allegedly masterminded the entire operation. According to sources, the duo hatched the assassination plot in December 2025 and hired professional contract killers to execute the hit.
The deal involved a massive payoff worth several crores of rupees. On May 6, Rath was driving his SUV near Madhyamgram when motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted his vehicle and opened fire from close range, killing him on the spot. Later, a total of nine persons, including six shooters and three middlemen were arrested. Initially, the probe was being conducted by the state police but later the investigation was handed over to the
CBI by the state government.
The fresh arrests have triggered immense political tension across the state after the central agency found that the Sonkar brothers were in touch with a rival party. The call records show Sagar made frequent landline calls to the local office of a rival political party while still working closely with Rath. Investigators are now examining financial trails to identify the ultimate financiers.
Rath was shot dead on May 6 while he was returning to his rented accommodation in Madhyamgram.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.