Both Hamim Mondal and Arpita Sarkar were revealed to be in close contact with Pakistani handlers of the Shehzad Bhatti gang and were completely aware of what they were doing, investigators say. The entire issue came to light after police complaints by a minister in Howrah named Umesh Rai came to light. Rai had said that his son was being threatened in a case of extortion and abduction.

Both Hamim Mondal and Arpita Sarkar were revealed to be in close contact with Pakistani handlers of the Shehzad Bhatti gang and were completely aware of what they were doing, investigators say. The entire issue came to light after police complaints by a minister in Howrah named Umesh Rai came to light. Rai had said that his son was being threatened in a case of extortion and abduction.

Both Hamim Mondal and Arpita Sarkar were revealed to be in close contact with Pakistani handlers of the Shehzad Bhatti gang and were completely aware of what they were doing, investigators say. The entire issue came to light after police complaints by a minister in Howrah named Umesh Rai came to light. Rai had said that his son was being threatened in a case of extortion and abduction.

The arrests of two suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists Hamim Mondal and Arpita Sarkar by a Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police revealed shocking details of a larger modus operandi to target West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

However, the aim was also to spread more unrest at the student protests backed by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

“Serious revelations have come forward. Our Honourable Chief Minister was the target. His movements were studied (to see if they were) unguarded," said Inspector General of Police, Special Task Force, Gaurav Sharma.

“At the student protests in Jantar Mantar in Delhi, Hamim was given instructions to procure police uniforms and create unrest,” Sharma added.

Sharma also added that instructions were given to involve more youngsters. There are more people under the radar of investigators who are being probed further before more names are revealed.

Mondal’s bank accounts are being investigated to see whether he is a beneficiary of any money for tasks executed by him. Electronic devices and documents have been seized from both the accused and are being verified. Sarkar was produced in a Burdwan court after being brought from Jharkhand, after which she will be brought to Kolkata for further investigations.

The entire issue came to light after police complaints by a minister in Howrah named Umesh Rai came to light. Rai had said that his son was being threatened in a case of extortion and abduction.

Police traced the extortion threats to Arpita Sarkar in the Sahibganj district of Jharkhand. Meanwhile, Mondal had stayed with his parents in Howrah before moving to Burdwan, from where he was arrested. His father worked in a garment factory in Pilkhana in Howrah.

“We launched an enquiry and after verifying them, a Sahibganj handle was found to be involved with suspicious activity," noted the IG STF.

Mondal’s name came to light after interrogators found Sarkar was involved and the two were in touch for about 3-4 years through various social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram and X.

Sarkar was also directly in touch with Pakistani handlers of the Shehzad Bhatti gang and was completely aware of what she was doing, say investigators. Instructions were given to the duo through various social media handles. Investigators say the terrorist handlers were trying to spread their network through Mondal.

Mondal is a second-year college drop out while Sarkar is a graduate. Pakistani handlers with an ISI-backing were in touch with the duo through various WhatsApp numbers—including Indian and foreign numbers.

“The Shehzad Bhatti gang is known to have close contacts with ISI,” Sharma pointed out, while saying that there were brainwashing and radicalisation attempts by the handlers.

The recent student protests in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar were called off last week after the CJP and the Centre came to an understanding over demands to be met while Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned under pressure. In his resignation letter, Pradhan had declared that he was stepping down to prevent "anti-nationals" from exploiting the unrest.

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