Suspected Terror Recruit Held In West Bengal, Probe Points To Alleged Online Radicalisation
Suspected Terror Recruit Held In West Bengal, Probe Points To Alleged Online Radicalisation Reported By, Last Updated: August 01, 2026, 08:20 IST Officials suspect Hamim
Suspected Terror Recruit Held In West Bengal, Probe Points To Alleged Online Radicalisation Reported By, Last Updated: August 01, 2026, 08:20 IST Officials suspect Hamim Mondal was radicalised through social media before allegedly attempting to establish links with a Kashmir-based extremist module. Rapid Read West Bengal Police STF personnel escort suspected terrorist Hamim Mondal with his face covered while producing him before a court in Bardhaman. (PTI Photo) A suspected terror recruit, Hamim Mondal, was arrested by the Bengal Special Task Force (STF) from a flat in a residential housing complex in Burdwan. Officials believe the case highlights the growing role of social media in online radicalisation and recruitment by extremist networks. Mondal allegedly had links with the Sajjad Bhat group and was operating as a local facilitator. He is suspected of collecting and passing on information from West Bengal while attempting to establish his credentials with the Kashmir-based module. Social Media Allegedly Became The Gateway Mondal is a resident of Monteswar in Purba Bardhaman district. He studied for a BCom degree until his second year before discontinuing his education and later worked at a vest (ganjee) manufacturing unit in Howrah.
His alleged radicalisation began online, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Mondal was highly active on social media, and his Instagram profile is believed to have drawn the attention of terror recruiters. He subsequently established contact with individuals linked to the Sajjad Bhat group through the platform. What began as online conversations allegedly progressed to ideological indoctrination. Sustained interactions are believed to have taken him through an initial phase of radicalisation, after which he received what officials describe as the first level of operational guidance. Continued communication through encrypted platforms allegedly prepared him for a more active role within the network. Under Surveillance The Bengal STF and the Anti-Terrorism Cell (ATC) had reportedly been monitoring Mondal’s online interactions for some time. Digital surveillance enabled the agencies to track his movements and eventually arrest him from the Burdwan housing complex where he had been staying for the past few months. Alleged Attempts To Prove Himself Mondal was allegedly trying to demonstrate to the Sajjad Bhat group that he was capable of carrying out militant assignments. He repeatedly shared information from West Bengal in an apparent attempt to gain the group’s confidence.
The BriefWire