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The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) has arrested an alleged operative linked to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) from Bardhaman in connection with a suspected conspiracy targeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The accused was apprehended from a gym inside the Renaissance Housing complex on Thursday and is scheduled to be produced before a court on Friday. Investigators claim they recovered details of the Chief Minister's movements and travel schedule from his possession.
The accused has been identified as Hamid Mondal, a resident of Pilkhana in Howrah. According to investigators, he had been living in a rented flat in Bardhaman for the past two months after previously working at a garment factory. The STF's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) carried out the operation while he was at the housing complex's gym.
Investigators have alleged that Hamid Mondal is associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed and has links with Sajjad Bhat, a former Jaish militant from Jammu and Kashmir. They further alleged that Mondal had received training in Pakistan and was working as an operative under handlers linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Authorities are investigating who allegedly directed him and the wider network behind the suspected plot.
According to the STF, documents and information recovered from the accused allegedly included details of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's travel schedule, including his planned movements, parking arrangements, timings, and subsequent engagements. Investigators also claimed that similar information relating to other VIPs was recovered during the operation. The authenticity and purpose of the recovered material are being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
Officials said the investigation is focused on establishing the alleged terror links, the source of the recovered information and the intended objective of the suspected conspiracy. Authorities have not yet disclosed additional operational details, and further investigation is underway.