A suspected operative linked to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), arrested by the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF), had allegedly planned to infiltrate the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi while disguised as a police officer and was also tasked with gathering intelligence on West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the STF said, according to an NDTV report.
The accused, identified as Hamim Mondal, was arrested by a six-member STF team from Purba Bardhaman district on July 31. A court has remanded him to 14 days of STF custody. His associate, Arpita Sarkar, was arrested from Sahebganj in Jharkhand on Friday and later brought to Kolkata as part of the investigation.
Addressing a press conference, STF Inspector General Gaurav Sharma said Pakistani handlers had instructed Mondal to procure a police uniform, infiltrate the recent student protest at Jantar Mantar, and trigger violence at the demonstration.
According to Sharma, Mondal had also been tasked with monitoring Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s movements to identify locations where he could be vulnerable due to reduced security.
“The chief minister was one of the targets,” Sharma said, adding that the accused had been asked to gather information about places where the chief minister could remain unguarded.
The STF said Mondal maintained links with multiple Pakistan-based terror operatives and organisations, including the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti gang, which investigators alleged is involved in radicalisation, terror recruitment and narco-terror activities.
According to the STF, Mondal had allegedly been radicalised through social media before establishing contact with Pakistan-based handlers. Investigators identified several suspected handlers operating under the names “Rana”, “Uzair”, “Abid Jatt 333”, and “Hamad”, who are believed to be associated with the Shahzad Bhatti gang.
Sharma described the case as one involving brainwashing and radical propaganda, adding that investigators had identified links between Mondal and several handlers operating in West Bengal. He also stated that the STF had many more suspects under surveillance and that additional arrests were likely. However, he declined to reveal further details, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation.
The investigation also revealed that Mondal and Sarkar had allegedly conspired to honeytrap and kidnap the son of West Bengal Minister Umesh Ray in an attempt to extort money from the minister’s family. Officials alleged that the conspiracy was carried out under instructions from Pakistani handlers linked to the Shahzad Bhatti gang.
Police further alleged that Sarkar had honey-trapped several prominent individuals, including politicians, to obtain sensitive information, which she subsequently passed on to Mondal. According to investigators, her WhatsApp conversations indicated links with Pakistan.
During searches, the STF recovered international SIM cards issued in the United Kingdom and Mexico. Investigators suspect the SIM cards were used for encrypted communication with Pakistan-based handlers and sleeper cells.
The STF is also examining electronic devices, documents, encrypted messages and bank account transactions recovered during the investigation to determine the full extent of the alleged terror network, its intended targets and its cross-border connections.
Investigators said Mondal and Sarkar first met through Instagram and had been in a relationship for four years. The STF reportedly identified Sarkar’s social media profile while probing the alleged honeytrap case, which subsequently led investigators to Mondal.
According to the STF, Mondal was initially arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping conspiracy, following which investigators uncovered his suspected links with Pakistan-based terror groups and the alleged plot to infiltrate the CJP protest in Delhi.
Commenting on the arrests, West Bengal Minister Shankar Ghosh said the state had become a target of terrorism and asserted that the government and police would continue taking strict action against terrorism, criminal activities and other threats to law and order.
The STF said efforts were continuing to identify additional members of the alleged module, trace its cross-border network and determine the full scope of the conspiracy.
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