Kolkata, Aug 3 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday interrogated Hamim Mondal, the suspected Jaish‑e‑Mohammed (JeM) associate, and his female aide, Arpita Sarkar, both of whom were arrested last week by the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police.

Considering the seriousness of the charges against Mondal and Sarkar, who also have links with Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN), a Pakistan-based terrorist-criminal group, the NIA also decided to step into the investigation process against them.

Sources aware of the development said the NIA, in due course, will also question Aditya Singh, the second aide of Hamim Mondal, who was arrested this morning by the STF.

Singh will be presented before the district court later in the day, and the public prosecutor will seek his STF custody, and the NIA sleuths will interrogate him once his custody is granted by the court.

It is learnt that the purpose behind NIA’s interrogation of Mondal and his aides is to collect detailed information about the terror organisation’s network, communication methods, and the people behind it in West Bengal.

Investigators feel that more names will surface following the interrogation.

The state police officials said investigation officers are currently aiming to uncover the full picture of who all are involved in the circle, their roles, and the extent of their network. Along with questioning the arrested individuals, they are also examining their digital devices, chat histories, and various online communications.

It has already been revealed that the SBN handlers targeted the family members of at least six current members of the West Bengal cabinet through Arpita Sarkar.

The SBN handlers used to maintain regular contact with Arpita Sarkar through encrypted messages on various social media platforms.

Insiders from the state police said that although Sarkar was primarily a recruit of Hamim Mondal, at a later stage the handlers of the Pakistan-based terrorist-criminal group used to contact her independently and send instructions separately, bypassing Mondal.

Besides the family members of the state cabinet members, some other influential persons in the state’s administrative machinery were also targeted for honey-trapping through Sarkar, as revealed in the investigation so far.

–IANS

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