Kolkata
oi-Swastika Sruti
The West Bengal’s Special Task Force (STF) in its biggest crackdown arrested a terror operative of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) from Bardhaman, raising fresh concerns over security in the state.
West Bengal’s STF arrested Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Hamid Mandal in Bardhaman, suspecting him of gathering intelligence on CM Suvendu Adhikari and having links to the Pulwama attack mastermind.
Investigators suspect the accused was gathering information related to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s movements, although the probe is still underway to determine the exact motive behind collecting the details.
JeM Operative Arrested From Bardhaman Hideout
The man arrested is identified as Hamid Mandal. He was allegedly staying in a rented flat at the Renaissance Township in Bardhaman for the past two to three months.
According to the STF, the apartment was allegedly being used as a hideout to avoid the attention of law enforcement agencies. Based on the mobile phone, documents and other materials recovered during the operation, investigators suspect that Mandal was involved in activities linked to a possible conspiracy.
He was arrested late on Thursday night and is expected to be produced before a Bardhaman court.
Alleged Links to Pulwama Mastermind
In one of the biggest crackdown the Police sources also claim that Hamid Mandal is a close associate of Sajjad Bhat, who has been identified by investigators as one of the key conspirators behind the 2019 Pulwama Terror Attack.
Investigators Probe Alleged Targeting of Suvendu Adhikari
The Bengal police also claims that the accused had allegedly collected information related to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s public programmes and movements since July 9.
Officials are examining whether more people were involved in the suspected conspiracy.
The outcome of Mandal’s interrogation is expected to play a key role in the investigation.
