Bengal STF probes alleged Pakistan-backed honey-trap network

Kolkata: The West Bengal STF is probing an alleged plan by Pakistan-based handlers to use the arrested woman, an "associate" of a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed operative, to create an espionage and honey-trap network, a senior officer said on Sunday.

The investigation revealed that suspected terror operative Mohammed Hamim Mondal and his "associate" Arpita Sarkar contacted Pakistan-based handlers through encrypted messaging applications that do not require mobile SIM cards, he said.

"We are investigating all aspects, including the communication channels used, the people who were in contact with the accused and whether any other individuals were being prepared for similar activities," the officer told PTI.


Mondal was arrested from Purba Bardhaman district on Friday and brought to Kolkata later that night for interrogation.

The STF also arrested Arpita Sarkar, alleged to be Mondal's associate and "girlfriend", and claimed that the duo had conspired to honey-trap the son of a minister of state in West Bengal to abduct him and extort money from the family.

A senior STF officer said the conspiracy was orchestrated at the behest of Pakistan-based handlers linked to the Shahzad Bhatti gang.

Investigators have found names of several suspected handlers during the interrogation of Mondal and Sarkar.

The names of individuals, such as Rana, Uzair, Abid Jatt and Hamad, have surfaced, with the STF suspecting links to Pakistan-based operators.

The investigators were also examining the alleged use of two encrypted messaging platforms by the accused.

"These applications allow communication without sharing phone numbers and do not store data on a specific server, making tracking more difficult," he said.

Sarkar, a resident of Barharwa in Jharkhand's Sahibganj district, belongs to a middle-class family. She is the younger of two sisters. Her father runs a grocery shop, while her mother, who worked as an anganwadi worker, died five years ago.

Sarkar had been active on social media and aspired to become an influencer, the officer said.

"She was also interested in modelling and riding motorcycles, often posting pictures and videos online," the IPS officer said.

STF sleuths suspect that Mondal and his handlers allegedly used her social media presence to establish contacts and that there was a plan to involve her beyond honeytrap operations in building a wider network.