West Bengal: STF nabs suspected JeM operative, cites threat to CM
STF verifying identity of accused, examining phone, electronic records and trying to establish purpose of his stay in West Bengal
The West Bengal Police's Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a man alleged to be linked to militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) from a residential complex in Bardhaman.
Investigators claimed that the material recovered from him points to possible surveillance of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Investigators run identity check
The accused, identified as Hamid Mondal, was apprehended from a rented apartment in the Renaissance residential complex near the Durgapur Expressway.
He was produced before a Bardhaman court on Friday (July 31), where the STF was expected to seek his custody for further questioning.
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According to STF officials, Hamid is a resident of Kashmir and is suspected of having links with JeM.
Investigators are also verifying his identity, including whether he had been using an assumed name. Some intelligence inputs have suggested he could be a Pakistani national, although police said his nationality has not yet been established.
'Operative targeted Bengal CM'
The investigation has taken on added significance after officials claimed that documents and digital material recovered during the operation contained information relating to the movements of the chief minister.
STF sources alleged that the accused had monitored routes used by Adhikari in Kolkata’s New Town, where Hamid is believed to have lived before shifting to Bardhaman.
‘Was likely in touch with JeM handlers’
Investigators are examining mobile phone data and other electronic records to determine the nature of the accused's contacts.
According to STF sources, preliminary analysis indicates that he remained in communication with handlers allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed.
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Officials are also probing suspected links between Hamid and Sajjad Bhat, a JeM operative accused in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.
Police are trying to establish the purpose of the accused's stay in West Bengal and whether he was acting alone or as part of a wider network.
They also intend to question the owners of the rented apartments in both New Town and Bardhaman to determine the circumstances under which the properties were rented to him.
Forensic tests, interrogation to reveal more
While investigators have not officially stated that any attack was imminent, intelligence officials acknowledged that the alleged recovery of material related to the chief minister's movements has heightened security concerns.
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The STF is expected to conduct a detailed forensic examination of the seized digital devices and documents as the investigation continues, with officials hoping that further interrogation of the accused will help establish the extent of his activities and any possible links to a larger militant network.
