Bengal STF Arrests Woman Linked to Suspected JeM Associate in Jharkhand

Kolkata: The West Bengal Police Special Task Force has arrested Arpita Sarkar from Jharkhand's Sahibganj district in connection with its investigation into alleged terror links involving suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) associate Hamim Mondal, officials said on Saturday.

According to investigators, Sarkar was taken into custody on Friday night after her alleged connection with Hamim Mondal surfaced during his interrogation. Acting on the information, an STF team, assisted by the local police, conducted a raid in Sahibganj and arrested her.

Hamim Mondal was arrested earlier on Friday from a residential apartment in Burdwan town in East Burdwan district. During searches, STF officials claimed to have recovered documents allegedly related to the schedule and movement of senior political leader Suvendu Adhikari, prompting investigators to examine whether he could have been a potential target.

Following Sarkar's arrest, investigators are also probing a possible honey-trap angle in the alleged network's activities. She is expected to be produced before a Kolkata court, where the STF will seek her custody for further interrogation.

Advertisement

A lower court on Friday remanded Hamim Mondal to 14 days of STF custody. Officials said Sarkar's name emerged during his questioning, leading investigators to launch the operation in Jharkhand.

STF sources have also alleged that Hamim Mondal maintained links with the group of Sajjad Bhat, who has been identified by investigators as one of the accused in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. These allegations remain part of the ongoing investigation.

Officials added that the Union government has periodically reviewed and upgraded Suvendu Adhikari's security cover based on intelligence inputs indicating potential threats from extremist groups.

The investigation is continuing, and the allegations against those arrested are yet to be tested in court.

With inputs from IANS