Rana Rauf, alias Wahab Alam, who was picked up by the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) on Wednesday, had taken photos and videos of the Barrackpore Cantonment area to be later shared with ISI agents, a report said. The Pakistani citizen decided to work for the Inter-Services Intelligence after failing to fulfil his long-held dream of serving in his country's military, the probe team found out.
Rana Rauf visited Kolkata in 2014, 2018, 2022, and January 2026. During his first visit, he did not possess any Indian identity documents. Thus, he decided to use the Raxaul international border between India and Nepal in Bihar to reach the city illegally, local media reports said. He used this route for all his visits to India ever since, with Ejaz helping him with his travel.
West Bengal native Ejaz was well aware of Rauf's real identity. However, it was not clear if he knew about his ISI links. The duo immediately formed a bond after meeting at a mosque, TV9 Bangla said in a report. He also played a crucial role in ensuring that his friend received bogus identity cards, the report added.
After his initial trip to India sans any documents, Rauf was able to get ID cards in India by using Ejaz's address. Ejaz's father, Zuber Alam, was cited as his own father to get past the documentation, TV9 Bangla said. Subsequently, he also procured a PAN card and an Aadhaar card. These fake IDs helped him get several SIM cards, which were then used to get in touch with his handlers across the border.
During interrogation by the STF, Rana Rauf said that if not for his physical shortcomings, he would have realised his dream of joining the Pakistan Army. However, he established contact with the Pakistan Army and the ISI, which ultimately led to him becoming an ISI agent.
Apart from taking photos and videos of the Barrackpore Cantonment area, he also scouted Fort William, the report said. The STF caught him before he could cross into Bangladesh through the Bongaon border and return to Pakistan.
During the SIR process, the Booth Level Officer (BLO) had summoned Rana for verification. When he failed to appear, his name was removed from the voters' list, the report added.
