Gangster Linked To Suvendu Adhikari Aide's Murder Surrenders Before UP Court
Murder accused gangster surrenders before court in UP.
A history-sheeter and alleged gangster wanted in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, a former aide of West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, surrendered before a court in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district on Thursday. The surrender comes as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues its probe into Rath's killing, which took place in West Bengal on May 6.
According to officials, Gyanendra Pratap Singh, also known as Monu, appeared before a Gangsters Act court in connection with an older case registered against him. Following his surrender, the court remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody and ordered his transfer to the district jail in Mau. Authorities said Singh is facing a total of 12 criminal cases in addition to the murder investigation.
Bansdih Road police station SHO Vansh Bahadur Singh said a case under the Gangsters Act had been registered against the accused in 2023. The accused had allegedly failed to appear before the court in the matter, prompting the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him on May 25. His counsel, Kaish Singh, confirmed that Gangster Court Judge Harish Kumar ordered judicial custody for 14 days.
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The defence lawyer also alleged that CBI officials had been pressuring his client to surrender and had recently seized CCTV footage from his residence as part of the ongoing investigation. The CBI has not publicly commented on the allegation. Investigators have been carrying out searches and gathering evidence in connection with the Rath murder case.
Meanwhile, the accused's wife, Mahima Singh, maintained that her husband had been falsely implicated in the case. Expressing confidence in the investigation, she said the family has full faith in the CBI and expects justice. She also claimed that both police and CBI teams have been regularly visiting their residence and questioning family members.
The case has attracted attention on social media following the circulation of a video and a Facebook post purportedly made by the accused. In the post, Singh appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for a fair investigation and alleged that several other individuals were responsible for Rath's murder. Authorities have not confirmed the claims made in the post, and the investigation into the killing remains ongoing.
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