Two days after the arrest of suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Hamim Mandal the Bengal Police Task Force, on Saturday, also arrested his girlfriend, Arpita Sarkar, from Jharkhand’s Sahibganj. According to the officials, Arpita was not just an acquaintance but also a key member of the terror outfit.
The investigation revealed that the two communicated in a special encrypted messaging platform where they were given separate "assignments". Kolkata STF alleged that Arpita assisted the outfit in honey-trap and kidnap operations involving prominent individuals. She also recruited new people through various social media platforms.
Investigators say that the accused, Arpita, was linked to several influential political figures and used to gather information about their personal life security arrangements and activities.
Hamim’s Arrest
The Bengal STF had arrested Hamim Mandal from a gym in a residential complex in West Bengal’s East Burdwan on Thursday. The STF claims he was in contact with the network of Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, notorious gangster Shahzad Bhatti, and Pulwama attack-accused Sajjad Bhat. Sarkar has been brought to Bardhaman on transit remand, and after taking custody from the court,
The STF is also investigating the nature of Arpita and Hameem's connections with the notorious Shahzad Bhatti gang and other members associated with it. It is also investigating whether the suspected network was limited to a single organization or had links with other terrorist organizations and modules.
The two are likely to be interrogated together to reveal their connection to the case. The STF is investigating the duo's connection with foreign handlers, how they recruit people from social media platforms, and how the suspected funding was routed through West Bengal and Jharkhand.