Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari on Pak-based terror groups' hit lists: Bengal Police
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was allegedly on the target list of Pakistan-based terror groups, the Bengal Special Task Force (STF) said on Saturday
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was allegedly on the target list of Pakistan-based terror groups, the Bengal Special Task Force (STF) said on Saturday. The STF identified the arrested youth as Hamim Mondal and claimed that Pakistan-based handles had repeatedly sought information from him about the Chief Minister's movements, including instances when his security cover may have been relatively limited. Read Full Story The investigation has also thrown up a possible link to the recent student protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. According to the STF, Mondal was allegedly asked to procure police uniforms as part of an attempt by Pakistan-based operatives to create disturbances during the agitation. "One is that our state's Honourable Chief Minister was on their target list," West Bengal STF IG Gaurav Sharma said, adding that attempts had been made to gather information about Adhikari's movement patterns. CM ADHIKARI ALLEGEDLY ON TARGET LIST The STF claimed that Mondal's questioning and analysis of his communications revealed attempts by the Pakistan-based handles to gather information about Chief Minister Adhikari.
According to Sharma, the handlers repeatedly sought details about the Chief Minister's movements and allegedly wanted Mondal to identify occasions when he might be relatively unguarded. The STF chief said investigators had also uncovered indications that police personnel, political figures and other prominent individuals were being targeted, but declined to disclose further details at this stage of the investigation. HOW THE PAKISTAN LINK EMERGED According to Sharma, the investigation began after authorities received information that a senior minister in Howrah was being extorted and that there was an alleged plan to trap and kidnap his son. The STF launched an inquiry along with other agencies and traced a suspicious online handle to Sahibganj in Jharkhand. Police alerted the local authorities and secured the alleged targets before investigating the handle's online interactions. During the probe, investigators found that the handle was regularly communicating with Hamim Mondal, who had previously lived with his family in Howrah before moving to Burdwan a few months ago.
Mondal was staying at Renaissance Housing in Burdwan when investigators began examining his communication patterns and online activity, the STF said. According to Sharma, investigators found his interactions with several handles suspicious. The handles included accounts identified as Rana, Abir Jat, Uzar and Had. "After verifying them, we found out that all these handles were operating from Pakistan," Sharma said. Mondal was subsequently taken into custody on the intervening night of July 30 and 31. JANTAR MANTAR PROTESTS UNDER LENS The investigation also revealed what the STF described as an attempt by Pakistan-based operatives to exploit the recent student agitation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Sharma said Mondal had allegedly been instructed to procure police uniforms in connection with plans to create disturbances during the protests. "We also noticed that in order to create some disturbance during the recent student protest at Jantar Mantar, Hamim Mondal was being asked to procure police uniforms," Sharma said.
The BriefWire