Terror Suspect’s Alleged Jantar Mantar Plot Uncovered After Girlfriend’s Social Media Posts

Terror Suspect Allegedly Planned Jantar Mantar Infiltration; Girlfriend’s Social Media Led STF to Him

A suspected terror operative arrested in West Bengal had allegedly been instructed by Pakistan-based handlers to infiltrate the recent CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi disguised as a police officer and create unrest, the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) said on Saturday.

The accused, Hamim Mondal, who the STF says is linked to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), was arrested from Purba Bardhaman district earlier this week.

Addressing a press conference, STF Inspector General Gaurav Sharma said Pakistani handlers had assigned Mondal multiple tasks, including infiltrating the protest site in Delhi while wearing a police uniform.

“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 further alleged that Mondal had also been tasked with gathering intelligence on the movements of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

“The chief minister was one of the targets. Hamim was asked to gather information on places where the chief minister could remain unguarded,” Sharma said.

A court has remanded Mondal to 14 days of STF custody as investigators continue to probe the alleged terror network.

Girlfriend Arrested, Honeytrap Angle Under Probe

Mondal’s girlfriend, Arpita Sarkar, was arrested from Jharkhand on Friday in connection with the investigation.

According to the STF, the two allegedly conspired, under instructions from Pakistan-based handlers linked to the Shahzad Bhatti gang, to honeytrap and kidnap the son of state minister Umesh Ray and extort money from his family.

Investigators alleged that Sarkar had honey-trapped several influential individuals, including politicians, to gather sensitive information, which was then passed on to Mondal. The agency said her WhatsApp chats revealed alleged links with operatives based in Pakistan.

Social Media Trail Led Investigators to Mondal

The STF said the investigation first focused on Sarkar during the honeytrap probe. Her social media activity eventually led investigators to Mondal, whom they believe had been radicalised online before allegedly coming into contact with Pakistan-based handlers.

During the investigation, officials recovered international SIM cards issued in the United Kingdom and Mexico, which they suspect were used to communicate securely with handlers and sleeper cells.

Investigators have identified several alleged handlers operating under the aliases Rana, Uzair, Abid Jatt 333 and Hamad, who are believed to be associated with the Shahzad Bhatti gang. According to the STF, the group is involved in radicalisation, terror recruitment and narco-terror activities.

The agency said it is continuing to investigate the alleged network, including its cross-border links and possible associates, but declined to disclose further details, citing the sensitive nature of the case.