Kolkata. The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) has claimed that Hamim Mandal, an alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed operative arrested from Bardhaman district, had plotted to infiltrate the student protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and incite violence. According to the STF, the accused was allegedly planning to join the protest wearing a police uniform and cause sabotage.
STF IG Gaurav Sharma said that preliminary investigations have also revealed that the accused targeted several prominent politicians and senior police officers in West Bengal. A detailed investigation into all these claims is currently underway.
According to the Special Task Force (STF), Hameem Mandal was allegedly in contact with Pakistani handlers
and was working on their instructions to gather sensitive information. The investigating agency claims that digital evidence of conversations with foreign contacts via WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram has been recovered from the accused’s mobile phone and social media accounts. These are being forensically examined.
Female associate also arrested:
The Special Task Force (STF) also arrested a woman named Arpita Sarkar on Friday night. The investigating agency claims she was a close associate of Hamim Mandal and the two were allegedly working together on several activities.
Allegations of a honey trap and kidnapping plot –
The Special Task Force (STF) alleges that the two conspired to honey-trap the son of a West Bengal government minister and then kidnap him to extort ransom from his family. According to officials, the investigation is also underway into the alleged links to handlers based in Pakistan.
The two had been in contact for four years.
According to the investigating agency, Hameem and Arpita had been in contact for approximately four years. They first met through social media and later began meeting in person. The STF claims that the accused communicated with alleged foreign contacts using encrypted chat platforms and foreign SIM cards.
Foreign SIM cards also recovered –
The STF said that international SIM cards issued in the United Kingdom and Mexico were also recovered from the accused. Their use and purpose are being investigated.
Allegations of monitoring the Chief Minister’s activities –
According to the investigating agency, Hamim Mandal was allegedly tasked with monitoring the West Bengal Chief Minister’s activities and gathering information related to her schedules. However, these allegations will only be officially confirmed after the investigation is complete.
How did the entire case unfold?
According to the Special Task Force (STF), the investigation began after receiving information about a honey trap plot allegedly targeting a minister’s family. During the investigation, social media accounts and digital activities led the agencies to Hameem Mandal and his alleged associate. Both are currently being questioned, and the investigating agencies are working to determine who else may be involved in this alleged network.