The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) has alleged that a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative arrested in East Bardhaman district was part of a larger conspiracy to infiltrate and disrupt a student protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

According to STF officials, Hameem Mandal was acting on instructions from handlers based in Pakistan and had allegedly planned to enter the protest disguised as a police officer to create unrest. The allegations are part of the agency's ongoing investigation and have not yet been tested in court.

STF Claims Pakistan-Based Handlers Directed Operation

Addressing a press briefing, STF Inspector General Gaurav Sharma said investigators believe Mandal was assigned multiple tasks by Pakistan-based operatives.

Besides the alleged plan to infiltrate the protest, the STF claimed Mandal had also been instructed to monitor the movements of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and gather information related to his security arrangements.

Mandal was arrested earlier this week in East Bardhaman and has been remanded to 14 days of STF custody for further interrogation.

Girlfriend Arrested From Jharkhand

The STF has also arrested Arpita Sarkar from Sahibganj, Jharkhand, alleging that she was involved in the conspiracy.

A court has remanded her to 13 days of police custody.

Investigators claim both accused were working under the directions of a Pakistan-linked network allegedly associated with gangster Shahzad Bhatti.

Honey-Trap and Extortion Plot Under Investigation

According to the STF, Mandal and Sarkar allegedly conspired to honey-trap the son of a West Bengal state minister.

Officials claim the plan involved developing a personal relationship with the minister's son, kidnapping him and demanding ransom from the family.

The agency said it is investigating the individual roles of both accused and examining whether additional people were involved in the alleged conspiracy.

Radicalisation Through Social Media

Investigators allege Mandal became radicalised through social media before establishing contact with Pakistan-based operatives.

The STF said international SIM cards linked to the United Kingdom and Mexico were recovered during the investigation and suspects they were used for encrypted communication with handlers and sleeper cells.

According to investigators, Mandal and Sarkar first connected through Instagram around four years ago before meeting in person. The agency claims they were instructed to cultivate relationships with influential individuals to gather sensitive information.

Investigation Began After Minister's Complaint

The STF said the probe began following information about an alleged conspiracy to extort money from a state minister and kidnap his son using a honey-trap.

During the investigation, officers reportedly tracked a social media account operated by Arpita Sarkar, which eventually led them to Mandal.

Officials say the investigation remains ongoing, with efforts focused on identifying possible links to a wider network and verifying the extent of the alleged terror module's activities.

The allegations made by the STF are currently under investigation, and the accused have not been convicted of the offences alleged.