Kolkata 

The West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force (STF) on Monday (August 3, 2026) arrested a third suspect in connection with an alleged Pakistan-backed terror module involving suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative Hamim Mondal. The accused, identified as Aditya Singh, also known as Raju and Raj, was arrested from Howrah district.

STF officials also questioned Singh’s family members on Monday (August 3). Before this, Singh’s two associates, Mondal and Arpita Sarkar, were arrested on July 31 in connection with the case. Mondal was arrested from Bardhaman, and Sarkar was arrested from Sahebganj in neighbouring Jharkhand.

High-profile targets

The network was conducting surveillance on high-profile targets, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, other State Ministers, and top police officials, the STF sources said. The STF’s Inspector General said that Mondal also had plans to obtain police uniforms to infiltrate the recent student protests in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to carry out violence.

STF officials suspect that Singh was in touch with Mondal through encrypted online messaging platforms and had been roped into the terror organisation. According to the officials, they had credible leads which emerged during the investigation that led to Singh’s arrest.

NIA roped in

National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials in West Bengal have also been roped in for investigation and are interrogating Sarkar and Mondal to ascertain the alleged network’s plans. The State intelligence agencies are also working together to examine suspected cross-border communications and financial transactions.

“We are in touch with the West Bengal STF and are pursuing the leads. Whatever comes, we will act on that. We are constantly alert,” Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand said on Monday (August 3). He also said there would be discussions with the Director of Security about the surveillance and possible security threats to senior State Ministers and officials.

Family members of Singh told local media persons that they had no knowledge of the people he was in touch with.

According to STF officials, Mondal had links with multiple Pakistani terror organisations, including the Shehzad Bhatti gang, and was in regular contact with them. On the other hand, Sarkar, a friend of Mondal, had been used in an attempt to honey-trap the son of a State Minister.

Police have recovered several documents and gadgets, besides details of financial transactions. Bank accounts linked to the suspects have also been seized and are being examined for further leads. The STF had previously said that the two accused initially arrested could be part of a larger racket and that several of them are under the police scanner.

Published - August 03, 2026 07:54 pm IST