Kolkata: More and more disturbing details are emerging after West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force (STF) unearthed a likely terror plot to kill chief minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Following the security threat and surveillance conspiracy against the Bengal CM, STF personnel are digging deep and expanding the probe.
An alleged female accomplice of suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Mohammad Hamim Mondal has been arrested.
The woman, identified as Arpita Sarkar, was apprehended from Jharkhand’s Sahebgunj on Friday and brought to Bardhaman town in Bengal, police said on Saturday.
Suspected Jaish operative Hamim was nabbed from Bardhaman town a day earlier.
Police claimed that Arpita is Hamim’s close associate and girlfriend.
Arpita was allegedly in regular contact with Hamim through WhatsApp, and chats between the two was recovered during the investigation, officials said.
Hamim is suspected to be part of an ISI-backed network tasked with collecting intelligence on VIPs, including BJP leaders, recruiting operatives and laying the groundwork for possible terror activities in West Bengal, police said.
He was arrested two days ago from his rented apartment at a housing complex in Bardhaman.
Mondal allegedly used Sarkar to establish contacts with influential political leaders in West Bengal and collect personal information about them, they said.
“Arpita Sarkar allegedly played a key role in a honey-trap network used to lure targets as part of the suspected module’s activities. Our investigation suggests that the accused attempted to build a network to access sensitive personal information of certain political personalities,” PTI reported quoting an official.
“The woman was allegedly used to develop contacts and facilitate the collection of such information. We are verifying the digital evidence and examining the exact nature of her role.”
It is being probed whether the information allegedly collected by her was intended to be used for planning attacks, officials said.
Asked about Mondal’s arrest, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said, “It’s a sensitive issue. STF and senior police officers are handling the case. He may have international connections; the police are investigating.”
Preliminary investigation suggests that Mondal had been tracking the movements of Chief Minister Adhikari and the routes his convoy took.
Jantar Mantar link
Investigators are also looking into a possible link in the West Bengal terror plot with the recent Jantar Mantar protest.
There could have been a conspiracy by Hamim to infiltrate the student and Gen-Z demonstrations in Delhi last month over the NEET-UG paper leak.
STF personnel believe Hamim and his associates planned to create major chaos at the month-and-a-half-long student agitation at Jantar Mantar.
According to investigators, the operatives of the terror outfit wanted to disguise themselves by wearing fake police uniforms to blend in and execute a strike during the demonstrations.
