Mohammad Hamim Mondal was accused of monitoring Adhikari’s movements, identifying possible security vulnerabilities and collecting information about other political leaders and police officers. The West Bengal Police Special Task Force said Pakistan-based handlers had directed his alleged activities.
Investigators said Mondal had also been instructed to obtain a police uniform and enter the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar while posing as a police officer. The alleged objective was to carry out sabotage, trigger disorder and potentially cause casualties during the demonstration.
The disclosure has widened the investigation from a suspected surveillance operation targeting political figures to an alleged plan to exploit a large public protest. Officers are examining whether additional people had been recruited to assist the operation and whether weapons, explosives or logistical support had been arranged.
Mondal was arrested late on Thursday, July 30, from rented accommodation at the Renaissance Complex in Bardhaman town in Purba Bardhaman district. Police initially identified him as Hamid Mondal before correcting his name to Hamim Mondal.
He was produced before a court in Bardhaman on Friday and remanded in police custody for 14 days. Investigators subsequently brought him to Kolkata for interrogation and examination of his mobile phone, social media accounts and other electronic records.
The STF also arrested Arpita Sarkar, described as Mondal’s close associate and girlfriend, from Sahibganj district in Jharkhand. Investigators alleged that she helped him establish contacts with influential people and obtain personal information about political figures.
Digital conversations recovered during the inquiry are being examined to determine the extent of Sarkar’s involvement. Police suspect she was used as part of a honey-trap network intended to gain access to selected targets and gather sensitive material.
The pair allegedly considered luring the son of a West Bengal minister of state into a relationship, abducting him and demanding money from his family. Investigators are examining whether the proposed kidnapping was intended solely for extortion or formed part of a wider terror-financing and intelligence-gathering operation.
The investigation began after police received information about threats to abduct the son of a senior political figure. The inquiry led officers to Sarkar’s social media activity and eventually to Mondal, who had allegedly remained in contact with foreign handlers through encrypted messaging applications.
International SIM cards issued in the United Kingdom and Mexico were recovered during the operation, the STF said. Investigators suspect the numbers were used to conceal communications with overseas contacts and avoid detection by domestic surveillance systems.
Mondal allegedly communicated through WhatsApp, Telegram, Element X and Session. His suspected handlers used aliases including Rana, Uzair, Abid Jatt 333 and Hamad and were linked by investigators to a Pakistan-based network associated with gangster Shahzad Bhatti.
The network is suspected of recruiting young people through social media, spreading extremist material and supporting narcotics and arms trafficking. Investigators are assessing whether proceeds from criminal operations were being channelled towards terror activity and sleeper-cell development.
Mondal, a resident of Kusumgram in Purba Bardhaman, previously worked at a garments unit in Howrah’s Pilkhana area, where his job involved placing barcodes on ready-made clothing. He later moved between rented properties, including accommodation in New Town near Kolkata, before shifting to Bardhaman.
His stay in New Town has drawn particular attention because Adhikari travelled through the area and maintained political and official engagements nearby. Investigators suspect Mondal tracked convoy routes, public appearances and locations where security arrangements might have been comparatively limited.
Adhikari described the case as a sensitive national security matter and said investigators were analysing information recovered from Mondal’s devices. His security arrangements are expected to be reviewed as the inquiry establishes whether surveillance advanced beyond the collection of publicly available information.
The alleged Jantar Mantar plan has also prompted scrutiny of security arrangements surrounding political demonstrations. The CJP protest drew students and youth activists campaigning over examination irregularities, alleged police action and accountability within the education system.
(IPA Service)
