Hamim’s female associate, Arpita Sarkar, has also been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) from Sahibganj in JharkhandAccording to the STF, Arpita was an active member of the suspected terror module.
Published: August 2, 2026, 7:44 AM IST
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New Delhi: Suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative Hamim Mandal has made several shocking revelations during the interrogation by the West Bengal STFBengal STF Inspector General Gaurav Sharma has said that there was a conspiracy to carry out an attack while wearing police uniforms during the recent student protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
According to the investigation, several political leaders and senior police officers, including West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, were on the terrorists’ target listThe interrogation further revealed that Hamim had been assigned the task of tracking the Chief Minister’s movements and gathering information about locations he visited.
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The network came to light during the investigation into an alleged conspiracy to kidnap the son of BJP MLA and minister Umesh Rai for ransom.
Hamim’s Female Associate Arrested:
Hamim’s female associate, Arpita Sarkar, has also been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) from Sahibganj in JharkhandAccording to the STF, Arpita was an active member of the suspected terror module.
Who is Arpita Sarkar?
Arpita is an English Honours student (2022–26 batch) at BSK College in JharkhandHer father runs a stationery shop, while her mother, an Anganwadi worker, passed away around four years agoArpita came into contact with Hamim about four years ago through social media.
She is accused of assisting him in various activities at his direction, including attempting to honey-trap people, collecting mobile phone numbers, gathering photographs of individuals and houses, and conducting reconnaissance (recce).
Here are some of the key details:
- Arpita was sent to 14 days of police custody after being brought to Bardhaman on transit remand and produced before a court
- Investigators will now question Hamim and Arpita together in a face-to-face interrogation.
- The STF says there are indications that Arpita had direct links with a Pakistan-based terror network.
- Investigators are examining which foreign handlers Hamim and Arpita were in contact with through various social media platforms
- They are also investing on how suspected funds were allegedly routed into West Bengal and Jharkhand.
- It may be recalled that the West Bengal STF arrested Hamim last Thursday from the gym of a residential complex in East Bardhaman.
- The STF claims he was in contact with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, notorious gangster Shahzad Bhatti, and Sajjad Bhat, an accused in the Pulwama terror attack.
- Several WhatsApp chats exchanged between Hamim and Arpita have reportedly provided investigators with important information about the network.
- The chats also suggest that the two were assigned different “assignments.”
Instead of using regular phone calls, the two allegedly communicated through a specialized encrypted mobile applicationInvestigators are also examining their digital network, possible links to the dark web, and other contacts.
