Overview
- The Special Task Force arrested Mohammad Hamim Mondal from Purba Bardhaman on Friday, July 31, and remanded him to 14 days' STF custody while investigators arrested Arpita Sarkar from Sahibganj on August 1 and brought her to Bardhaman for questioning.
- STF officials allege the pair communicated with Pakistan‑based handlers and a Jaish‑e‑Mohammed‑linked module that used social media and encrypted apps to recruit and direct activities.
- Police say materials recovered suggest Mondal collected information on Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and was tasked with identifying vulnerabilities of politicians and police officers.
- Investigators allege Sarkar played a role in a honey‑trap scheme aimed at luring, kidnapping and extorting a minister’s son and cultivating contacts to gather intelligence.
- Authorities have seized phones, an iPhone, international SIMs and documents that are under forensic examination as probes continue into handler links, financing and any broader network involvement including the Shahzad Bhatti group.