Arrested Jaish operative planned to target Bengal CM Suvendu, sabotage Jantar Mantar protest: STF | Kolkata News

KOLKATA: The alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed operative arrested by the West Bengal STF had planned to target chief minister Suvendu Adhikari and disrupt the recent students’ protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar by disguising himself in a police uniform, a senior STF officer said on Saturday.The accused, identified as Hamim Mondal, was arrested from Purba Bardhaman district on Friday and brought to Kolkata later that night for questioning, IG (Special Task Force) Gaurav Sharma said.Addressing a press conference here, Sharma said the investigation had established Mondal’s links with Pakistan-based handlers and that he was working at their behest.“The chief minister was one of the targets. Hamim had been assigned by Pakistan-based handlers the task of keeping a watch on the CM’s movements. He was asked to gather information on the places the chief minister could remain unguarded,” Sharma told PTI.The agency said Mondal had also planned to infiltrate the recent students’ protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar by procuring a police uniform and carrying out sabotage.“There was a plan to somehow procure a police uniform and carry out sabotage at the recent students’ protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Besides that, several police officers and politicians were also planned to be targeted,” Sharma said.The IPS officer said the preliminary probe revealed that, besides Adhikari, several police officers and political leaders were allegedly being targeted by the terror module.The STF claimed that the accused was in touch with multiple Pakistan-based handlers through encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram after first establishing contact with them on Instagram.“During the investigation of his mobile phone and social media chat history, we have found some very disturbing information. He was in touch with several Pakistan-based handlers through encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram,” Sharma said.Investigators identified the handlers by the aliases ‘Rana’, ‘Uzair’, ‘Abid Jatt 333’ and ‘Hamad’, all of whom are suspected to be linked to the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti gang, which the STF alleged is involved in radicalisation, narco-terror activities and recruiting youths for extremist operations.Sharma said the investigation into the module began after the STF received inputs about a conspiracy to extort money from a senior political leader from Howrah and abduct his son through a honey-trap operation.“A few days ago, we received information about a plan to extort money from a senior politician from Howrah and abduct his son through a honey-trap. We were told that an organisation was behind the conspiracy. That led us to a social media handle from Sahibganj, which was being operated by one Arpita Sarkar,” he said.IG STF Gaurav Sharma said the investigation into Sarkar’s social media account led the officers to Mondal. According to Sharma, the two had been in contact for the past four years after initially connecting on Instagram and later meeting in person.The agency claimed that Mondal and Sarkar were in a relationship, and investigators were probing whether Sarkar was allegedly used to lure potential targets as part of the suspected honey-trap operations.Sharma said further investigation was underway to determine the extent of the alleged terror network, identify other members of the module and establish its possible cross-border connections.(With agency inputs)