From Rural Entrepreneurs to CBI Accused: How Four Men from Ballia Found Themselves Linked to a High-Profile West Bengal Murder Investigation

What began as a professional association through a small agricultural irrigation business in eastern Uttar Pradesh has unexpectedly evolved into a story at the centre of one of the country’s most closely watched criminal investigations.

Four men from Ballia district, who first crossed paths while working in the installation and maintenance of irrigation pipelines for farmers, now find themselves among those arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close associate of West Bengal BJP leader and current Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

Rath was killed in Madhyamgram, a town on the outskirts of Kolkata, on May 6, shortly after the Bharatiya Janata Party registered a decisive victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

The murder quickly attracted political attention and was subsequently handed over to the CBI, which has since been piecing together what investigators believe may be a larger conspiracy behind the killing.

Among the seven individuals arrested so far are four residents of Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh.

The remaining accused include Mayank Raj Mishra and Vicky Maurya from Bihar’s Buxar district and Vinay Rai, also known as Pumpum, from neighbouring Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh.

Although the four Ballia residents belong to villages located within a radius of roughly 50 kilometres, they did not grow up together or share long-standing friendships.

Their connection, according to family members, emerged only a few years ago through work-related interactions.

What continues to puzzle their relatives is how a group of men involved in agriculture and small businesses came to be linked to a murder investigation that has drawn national attention.

Visits to their villages reveal families that are relatively stable financially, with most of them owning agricultural land and residing in spacious homes.

Farming remains the primary source of income for many household members, while some of the accused had also ventured into small-scale enterprises to supplement their earnings.

Family members insist that none of them had ever spoken about visiting West Bengal and claims to be unaware of any connection that could tie them to events unfolding hundreds of kilometres away.

CBI officials, however, believe the arrests are helping investigators move closer to the alleged mastermind behind the crime.

Sources within the agency said investigators are attempting to establish the complete chain of events, including identifying who recruited whom, the sequence of communication among the accused, and the precise motive behind the murder.

“We are trying to connect every link in the chain,” a source associated with the investigation said.

“Our focus is on understanding the entire network, including who organised the operation, who participated in it, and what circumstances led to the crime.”

Among the four men from Ballia, investigators note that three had previously faced legal cases of varying seriousness, while one had no known criminal history.

However, family members maintain that past cases do not necessarily indicate criminal involvement and point out that several matters ended in acquittals or were linked to local disputes.

The most prominent among the accused is 48-year-old Gyanendra Singh, popularly known as Mannu, a resident of Sheetal Davani village.

According to police records, he has been listed as a history-sheeter and has faced multiple criminal cases over the years across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Varanasi.

These cases have included allegations ranging from murder and attempted murder to violations under the Arms Act.

The other accused from Ballia include 34-year-old Naveen Singh from Thamanpura village, 21-year-old Raj Kumar Singh from Ratopur village, and 28-year-old Golu Singh from Basudevpur village.

Family members acknowledge that Naveen and Raj Kumar had previously been named in minor assault-related cases, while local police records reportedly show no criminal history against Golu Singh.

Of the four, Naveen is considered the most educated, having completed his graduation. He built a business installing irrigation pipeline systems for farmers across Ballia district, a venture that ultimately brought the others into his professional circle.

Seated inside his two-storey residence, Naveen’s father, Anil Singh, who works as a government employee in Ballia, said the relationships among the accused were primarily business-oriented.

According to him, the men became acquainted through work opportunities rather than close personal friendships.

Anil Singh explained that some of the accused occasionally visited their home, but only for professional reasons.

Raj Kumar had worked alongside Naveen while learning the irrigation pipeline trade, while Gyanendra came into contact with the family after hiring Naveen for work on his agricultural land.

The interactions, he said, were limited and largely transactional.

Over time, however, Naveen emerged as a common point of contact among the group.

While the men maintained communication, family members insist there was no indication of involvement in any unlawful activity.

The arrest has left the families grappling not only with shock but also with uncertainty about the legal process ahead.

Anil Singh admitted that navigating a complex criminal case being investigated far away in West Bengal presents enormous challenges for ordinary families based in rural Uttar Pradesh.

Raj Kumar Singh, one of the youngest among the accused, had worked briefly with Naveen while learning the irrigation business.

His village lies around 30 kilometres from Naveen’s home, while Gyanendra’s residence is situated roughly 25 kilometres away.

Gyanendra, the oldest among the four Ballia residents, had recently become active in local politics and was preparing to contest the upcoming village head election.

Across Sheetal Davani village, campaign banners and posters bearing his image still stand, reflecting political ambitions that appeared to be gaining momentum until his arrest abruptly altered the course of his plans.

His wife, Mahima Singh, strongly rejected suggestions that her husband was a habitual offender.

Speaking outside their home, she argued that most cases registered against him in the past had ended in acquittals or judgments favourable to him.

According to Mahima, only one case remains pending, which she described as stemming from a long-running land dispute.

She claimed the matter arose after rival parties allegedly attempted to encroach upon family property.

She further alleged that Gyanendra’s decision to enter local politics had attracted opposition from influential individuals in the area.

In her view, his growing popularity and intention to contest the village elections made him a target for political rivals.

Gyanendra, the youngest among three brothers, completed his education up to the intermediate level before marrying Mahima in 2015.

While he primarily managed farming activities, he also explored opportunities in business and local politics.

His elder brother, Daya Shankar Singh, spent nearly thirty years working for a private company in West Bengal before returning to Ballia approximately a year ago.

Today, he lives directly opposite Gyanendra’s residence in their native village.

Expressing disbelief over the allegations, Daya Shankar said he was attempting to gather information from contacts in West Bengal to better understand the circumstances of the case.

He maintained that he did not know how his brother became connected to the investigation.

Villagers describe Gyanendra as someone who balanced agricultural work with property-related dealings.

More recently, he had secured a distributorship for a food products company and employed Golu Singh to help distribute goods to local retailers and shops.

Mahima acknowledged that Golu frequently visited their residence but insisted those visits were solely related to business activities connected with the distributorship.

Golu’s village, Basudevpur, is located approximately 15 kilometres away. At 28 years old, he is the youngest among the four accused.

After completing his education up to the intermediate level, he decided to pursue business opportunities and had married only last year.

His mother, Vidyarthi Devi, who is 65 years old and suffers from heart-related ailments, said relatives initially concealed news of his arrest from her to avoid causing distress.

She eventually learned of the development from visitors arriving at the family home.

According to Golu’s uncle, Sunil Singh, the family had worked hard to build a stable life after his father, Ramji Singh, retired from the Indian Army in 2008.

Much of the responsibility for raising the children, he said, fell upon Vidyarthi Devi.

Raj Kumar Singh was reportedly the first among the group to be arrested. After spending some time working with Naveen, he later travelled to Mumbai in search of better employment opportunities and secured a job with a private company.

He had returned home only a few days before his arrest.

The CBI has stated that Raj Kumar was apprehended in Muzaffarnagar while allegedly attempting to travel towards Uttarakhand.

Investigators are examining his movements and communication records as part of the broader inquiry.

His father, Tribhuvan Narain Singh, an electrician by profession, recalled that both Naveen and Gyanendra had previously visited their home and even attended Raj Kumar’s birthday celebration the previous year.

According to him, the connections among the men developed naturally through work and social interactions.

Tribhuvan explained that after Raj Kumar completed his intermediate education and struggled to find meaningful employment locally, the family encouraged him to acquire practical skills.

Working alongside Naveen provided him with an opportunity to learn a trade and gain experience.

At the same time, he acknowledged that Raj Kumar had become increasingly independent in recent years and rarely discussed his activities outside the village.

As a result, family members often knew little about his professional engagements or personal associations.

For now, the families of all four men remain in a state of uncertainty. While maintaining their relatives’ innocence, they say they are waiting for investigators to complete their work and for the chargesheet to be filed before forming any conclusions about the allegations.

Meanwhile, the CBI continues its efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding Chandranath Rath’s murder and identify those responsible for planning and executing the crime.