2 min readLucknowMay 19, 2026 10:48 PM IST
A day after arresting the fourth suspect in connection with the killing of Suvendu Adhikari’s executive assistant, Chandranath Rath, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday arrested another accused from Varanasi, officials said.
Officials said the arrested man, identified as 40-year-old Vinay Rai alias Pumpum Rai, originally hails from the Zamani area of Ghazipur.
As per information, officials said, Rai had relocated to Varanasi several years ago, where he was engaged in property dealing.
“A CBI team produced Vinay Rai before a local court in Varanasi and secured a two-day transit remand,” a senior police official in Varanasi said.
The accused was subsequently taken to Kolkata for further questioning in connection with the case.
According to police officials, the CBI moved against Rai after gathering substantial evidence linking him to the killing. He was detained near the Reserve Police Lines area in Varanasi.
Following the arrest, the agency completed the mandatory legal formalities, including registering the arrest at the Cantonment police station and conducting a medical examination before presenting him before the court.
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The investigation, initially conducted by Bengal Police, is now with the CBI. The central agency has registered a case under multiple sections, including murder and criminal conspiracy.
Earlier, three accused — Mayank Raj Mishra and Vicky Maurya from Buxar, Bihar, and Raj Singh from UP’s Ballia — were arrested in the case.
Investigators had suspected the trio were out-of-state hitmen hired to carry out the killing, though who commissioned the hit and why is still under investigation.
On Tuesday, the CBI had tracked down another youth from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia for his alleged connection with the crime.
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The suspect, identified as Raj Kumar Singh, was arrested in Muzaffarnagar while he was allegedly trying to flee to another state, possibly Uttarakhand. Sources said the UP police assisted in the operation.
Raj Kumar’s family claimed they were unaware of their son’s alleged involvement in the crime or of any link between him and Raj Singh.
