- Girlfriend arrested for honey-trap plot targeting minister’s son.
A suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative arrested by the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) had allegedly planned to infiltrate the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar wearing a police uniform and create unrest, investigators have claimed.
Planned To Enter Protest In Police Uniform
According to STF Inspector General Gaurav Sharma, the arrested accused, Hamim Mondal, was tasked with infiltrating the protest in police uniform as part of a larger conspiracy to trigger violence and disruption.
Investigators also claimed Hamim was monitoring the movements of several political leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, and senior police officers on the instructions of Pakistani handlers.
Mondal was arrested from West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district on Friday and brought to Kolkata later that night for interrogation.
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Pakistan Links Under Scanner
The STF said Hamim was in regular contact with Pakistan-based handlers through WhatsApp, Telegram and Instagram. His mobile phone and social media chats allegedly revealed communication with handlers using encrypted platforms and foreign SIM cards.
Investigators identified the handlers by the code names Rana, Abir, Habib and “333”. International SIM cards issued in the United Kingdom and Mexico were also recovered, the STF claimed.
Girlfriend Arrested In Honey-Trap Case
The STF has also arrested Arpita Sarkar, described as Hamim’s associate and girlfriend. According to investigators, the duo allegedly planned to honey-trap the son of a West Bengal minister, kidnap him and extort money from his family.
A senior STF officer alleged the conspiracy was orchestrated by Pakistani handlers, who instructed the accused to cultivate personal relationships with influential people to obtain sensitive information.
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Worked As Tailor, Shifted From Howrah
Investigators said the 23-year-old Hamim earlier lived in Pilkhana, Howrah, where he worked as a tailor stitching uniforms. After eviction notices were issued in parts of Pilkhana, he shifted to Purba Bardhaman and rented an apartment before going into hiding over the past few months to evade security agencies.
The STF further claimed he had been assigned the task of gathering information on places where the chief minister could be present with minimal security.
The investigation is continuing to determine the roles of other suspected conspirators and the full extent of the alleged Pakistan-linked network.
