Bhubaneswar: What began as a meticulously executed hit in the outskirts of Kolkata quickly turned into a high-stakes interstate manhunt—only to unravel because of a single digital misstep.

On the night of May 6, Chandranath Rath, a former Indian Air Force personnel and close aide to Suvendu Adhikari, was ambushed in Madhyamgram. His Mahindra Scorpio was intercepted by a silver hatchback and two motorcycles. Within moments, gunmen opened fire at close range using a high-end Glock pistol, leaving Rath dead and his driver injured.

The attackers fled swiftly, executing what investigators initially believed was a well-planned escape. But within days, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) began piecing together a trail that would stretch across state borders—and hinge on technology.

The details shared by SIT in the court unravels how an inadvertant letting off a digital footprint by an accused led to their arrests swiftly.

The Escape Plan—and the Mistake

After the shooting, the assailants sped towards the interstate corridor, aiming to slip out of West Bengal before police could tighten the net. Their route took them across the Bally toll plaza on the Nivedita Setu—an otherwise routine crossing that proved to be their undoing.

In a critical error, one of the occupants made a toll payment using a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transaction.

That single tap triggered a digital footprint.

Investigators quickly accessed toll data and extracted the transaction details. The payment was linked to a mobile number, which in turn led them to one of the accused—Mayank Raj Mishra. What might have seemed like an insignificant act during a hurried escape became the first concrete lead for the SIT.

CCTV, Cloned Plates and the Trail of Evidence

Armed with the mobile number, the SIT widened its net. CCTV footage from the toll plaza was retrieved and analysed frame by frame. The visuals confirmed the presence of the suspects and revealed another layer of deception: the vehicle used in the crime carried a cloned registration plate linked to a car registered in Siliguri.

This indicated premeditation—an attempt to mislead investigators and delay identification. But by now, the SIT had both digital and visual evidence aligning.

The investigation then moved rapidly. Phone records were mapped, movement patterns analysed, and possible hideouts identified. The trail led beyond West Bengal into Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Interstate Chase and Arrests

In a coordinated operation, SIT teams fanned out across states. Mishra and another accused, Vicky Maurya, were tracked down and arrested from Buxar in Bihar. A third suspect, Raj Singh, was picked up from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh.

The arrests marked a crucial breakthrough—but not the end of the probe.

Investigators believe the shooters were hired hands, part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated locally. The focus has now shifted to identifying the masterminds who planned the attack and supplied the weapon.

The Bigger Picture

When the accused were produced before a Kolkata court, the SIT stressed the need for custodial interrogation to “uncover the larger conspiracy.” The court granted 13 days of police custody, allowing investigators to dig deeper into the network behind the killing.

What stands out in this case is how a carefully planned assassination was cracked not by chance, but by the convergence of digital forensics and old-fashioned policing. A cloned number plate, a coordinated escape, and interstate movement—all were neutralised by one overlooked detail: a traceable payment.

In the end, it wasn’t just the bullets that told the story—but the data trail left behind.

Also Read: My Son Killed over Role in Mamata Banerjee’s Bhabanipur Defeat, Says Chandranath Rath’s Mother