Investigators said Mondal allegedly used Sarkar as a link to reach out to political leaders in West Bengal and obtain information about them.
Published: August 1, 2026, 4:32 PM IST
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Police personnel escort an alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed operative with his face covered while producing him before a court in Purba Bardhaman, West BengalPTI
A woman from Jharkhand was arrested on Saturday by the West Bengal STF for allegedly being part of a honey-trap network linked to suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Mohammad Hamim MondalAccording to officials, the network was allegedly used to gather information about political leadersThe woman, identified as Arpita Sarkar, was arrested from Jharkhand’s Sahebganj on Friday and brought to Bardhaman in Bengal.
According to officials, Sarkar, who hails from the Barharwa area of Sahibganj district, allegedly remained in frequent touch with Mondal via WhatsAppThe investigation has also uncovered chat records between the twoThe STF arrested Mondal from his rented apartment in a housing complex in Bardhaman town on Thursday.
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According to investigators, he is believed to be linked to an ISI-backed network that was allegedly tasked with collecting information on VIPs, including BJP leaders, recruiting new operatives, and facilitating potential terror activities in the state.
Investigators alleged that Sarkar helped Mondal connect with influential political figures in West Bengal, enabling him to collect personal information about them.
“Sarkar allegedly played a key role in a ‘honey-trap’ network used to lure targets as part of the suspected module’s activitiesOur investigation suggests that the accused attempted to build a network to access sensitive personal information of certain political personalities,” an official said.
“The woman was allegedly used to develop contacts and facilitate the collection of such informationWe are verifying the digital evidence and examining the exact nature of her role,” he added.
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The woman has already been brought to Purba Bardhaman, and is scheduled to be produced before a court later in the dayIt is being probed whether the information allegedly collected by her was intended to be used for planning attacks, officials said.
Police said Mondal’s ancestral home is in Dirghanagar village in the Monteswar police station area in Purba BardhamanHis father, Moniruddin, has been living in Howrah’s Pilkhana area since 1998 for workMondal, along with his family, had recently shifted to the rented flat at the housing complex, from where he was arrested, they said.
