Man wrongfully arrested in WB CM's aide murder case, alleges torture

Raj Singh, arrested in the murder of Suvendu Adhikari's aide, has been released after a CBI probe found it was a case of mistaken identity. Singh alleged he was tortured by police and pressured to confess to a crime he did not commit.

Raj Singh, who was arrested in connection with the murder case of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant Chandranath Rath, has alleged that he was wrongly arrested, mistaken for another person with the same name and later released following a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe that found no link between him and the case.

Man Alleges Wrongful Arrest, Police Pressure

Speaking to ANI after his release, Raj said he was picked up by the police while returning from Ayodhya with his mother. He alleged that he was not shown any evidence at the time of arrest and was pressured to confess to a crime he did not commit. "I was wrongfully arrested, mistaken with another Raj Kumar Singh. I had gone to Ayodhya with my mother for darshan. While coming back home, a police team arrested me. They did not listen, nor ask for evidence. They threatened me with an encounter and tried to force me to confess," Singh alleged. He further claimed that he was later taken to Kolkata, where he was allegedly subjected to custodial pressure. "Later, I was taken to Kolkata, where the CID tortured me to admit a crime I had not committed. Their intention was to frame me as a criminal," he said, adding that the CBI later "showed the truth" through its investigation.

'Feared Being Killed in an Encounter'

Singh thanked the CBI for what he called a fair probe and appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take action against the police team involved in his arrest. "I thank CBI for a fair investigation. I appeal to CM Yogi Ji to take action against that police team," he said. "I have been with the BJP -- my father, too, was with the BJP. I have been associated with the Kshatriya Mahasabha, but no organisation supported me. Every night, I feared being falsely picked up and killed in an encounter, even though I had no case. Who would not be afraid?" Singh added.

CBI Confirms Mistaken Identity

According to CBI sources, Raj Singh's release came after the agency filed an application before the court stating that he had no role in the murder case. The investigation reportedly revealed that his arrest was the result of mistaken identity.

Investigation into Chandranath Rath Murder Continues

Furthermore, the CBI and Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested one more accused in the Chandranath Rath murder case following a tip-off shared by the agency. The accused has been booked under the Arms Act, and weapons were also recovered during the operation, according to CBI sources. Earlier, the CBI arrested Vinay Rai, the fifth accused in the case, from Varanasi. Another accused, Rajkumar, was arrested in Muzaffarnagar in coordination with local police and is believed to be the main shooter, according to CBI sources. Rath, who had worked in the Indian Air Force, was shot dead near Madhyamgram on May 6 late at night. He later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. (ANI)(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)