West Bengal: Arrested JeM terrorist Hamim Mondal attempted to infiltrate CJP protests, his girlfriend Arpita Sarkar arrested on honey-trapping and extortion charges

Arpita Sarkar and Hamim Mondal (Image via X)

A man arrested by the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) for his links with the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was asked to infiltrate the recent CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and also collect information about West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, officials said. Mondal’s girlfriend Arpita Sarkar has also been arrested for allegedly plotting to honeytrap and kidnap a minister.

The accused, identified as Hamim Mondal, was arrested on Thursday night, 30th July, from Purba Bardhaman district. During a press conference, Inspector General (STF) Gaurav Sharma said that Mondal was working under the instructions of Pakistan-based handlers, who wanted him to enter the protest site dressed as a police officer and create unrest.

“Pakistani handlers asked Hamim Mondal to infiltrate the student protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi while dressed in a police uniform and carry out disturbances,” Sharma said.

The STF also claimed that Mondal had been given the responsibility of tracking Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari‘s movements. According to Sharma, the accused was asked to identify places where the chief minister might not have adequate security. “The chief minister was one of the targets,” Sharma said. “Hamim was asked to gather information on the places the chief minister could remain unguarded,” he added.

Sharma said that Mondal took orders over social media and encrypted apps from Pakistani numbers and handles, and was told to procure police uniforms and lead a group to Jantar Mantar during CJP protests to create unrest. “We are yet to ascertain if he was able to build that team and travel to Delhi,” he said.

Investigators believe Mondal was part of a wider ISI-backed operation built to keep an eye on VIPs, recruit new operatives and lay groundwork for terror activities in West Bengal. He was allegedly brought into the fold by Pakistani handlers four to five months ago and told to expand the network. Officers say targets included tracking senior politicians and police officers. 

The module used WhatsApp, Telegram, Element X and Session for communication, the STF said. “It is suspected that these handles are linked to Pakistan’s Shahzad Bhatti gang. Through them, fundamentalist propaganda was spread and youths were targeted for brainwashing. These Pakistani handles also used SIM cards from Britain and Mexico,” Sharma said.

Girlfriend also arrested in honeytrap and extortion case

During the investigation, the STF arrested Mondal’s girlfriend, Arpita Sarkar, from Barharwa in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district on Friday, 31st July. STF officers say she was an active member of the network and took instructions routed through Pakistani handlers. Digital trails led investigators to her after officers investigated Instagram chats between Mondal and Sarkar. She was produced in a Burdwan court and remanded to STF custody for 13 days.

According to officials, the two had planned to honeytrap and kidnap the son of West Bengal minister Umesh Ray and then extort money from the family.  “She helped Hamim develop contacts with influential political figures and collect their details. We are examining digital evidence and verifying the exact nature of her role,” an STF officer said.

While both were in touch through social media for 4 years, investigators found that a few months ago they started to communicate with handlers of Pakistani terror groups.

Investigators said both were acting on the instructions of Pakistani handlers linked to the Shahzad Bhatti gang. Police also revealed that Sarkar had honey-trapped several influential people, including politicians, to gather information, which she later shared with Mondal.

Her WhatsApp chats reportedly revealed contacts linked to Pakistan. Her Instagram account also revealed links to Pakistan. Her following list included several Muslim accounts as well as a Pakistani account.

STF IG Gaurav Sharma said that Mondal had drawn Sarkar into the module, after which she began taking orders directly from handlers based in Pakistan. He added she was “thoroughly involved” in honey-trapping the son of a Bengal minister, on Mondal’s instructions. “Arpita was fully aware of what she was doing,” Sharma said, adding that officers are working to crack the pair’s encrypted chats and checking for any foreign funding.

Arpita Sarkar holds an English Honours degree from BSK College in Barharwa, while Mondal is a second-year college dropout. Mondal’s family hails from Dirghanagar village under Monteswar police station in East Burdwan.

International SIM cards and Pakistan links under scanner

The STF said it recovered international SIM cards issued in the United Kingdom and Mexico from the accused. Officials suspect these SIM cards were used to exchange encrypted messages with handlers and other sleeper cells.

According to investigators, Mondal was first radicalised through social media before he allegedly came in contact with Pakistan-based operatives. The STF identified several suspected handlers, including “Rana”, “Uzair”, “Abid Jatt 333”, and “Hamad”, who are believed to be associated with the Shahzad Bhatti gang. The gang is allegedly involved in radicalisation, terror recruitment and narco-terror activities.

Officials said Mondal and Sarkar first connected through Instagram and had been in a relationship for the past four years. The investigation initially focused on Sarkar’s social media account during the honeytrap probe, which eventually led investigators to Mondal.

Mondal has been remanded to 14 days of STF custody. The agency said it is now trying to uncover the full network, identify other members of the module and trace its cross-border links. Officials added that they cannot disclose further details at this stage because of the sensitive nature of the investigation.

Written by Shriti Sagar
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