West Bengal Police arrest two suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives

Published Aug 8, 09:16 AM UTC

The Special Task Force of West Bengal Police arrested Hamim Mondal and Arpita Sarkar from Purba Bardhaman district on July 31, 2026, for suspected links to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Police seized electronic devices and documents revealing the duo had gathered inputs on the movements of then Leader of the Opposition and now Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in Bardhaman last year. Investigators are examining whether there was a plan to target him. The suspects are believed to have been in contact with a JeM module operated by gangster Shahzad Bhatti and his associate Azmal Gujjar via social media for over a year. Security agencies suspect Bhatti's network is involved in cross-border narcotics and arms smuggling, with proceeds financing terror activities in India with alleged backing from Pakistan's ISI. Chief Minister Adhikari described the case as a matter of national security with international links.