Dumka: A 21-year-old college student from Sahibganj district was arrested by the special task force (STF) of Kolkata Police late on Friday for her alleged links to a suspected Pakistan-backed terror network and a purported plot to track Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s movements.Arpita Sarkar, a resident of Gwalkhor village under Barharwa police station limits, was taken into custody during a joint operation by the STF and Jharkhand police. She was later taken to Burdwan for questioning, sources said.Sahibganj SP Amit Kumar Singh confirmed the arrest on Saturday. “Kolkata STF had sought support from local police for the operation. We extended all necessary assistance,” he said, adding that the STF was leading the investigation.Investigators suspect Sarkar had been in contact for several years with key accused Hamim Mondal, who was earlier arrested from Nawabhat in East Burdwan district. Sources said their alleged association emerged during the investigation and that the two had met four times.The probe has allegedly found that Mondal was regularly in touch with associates of Sajjad Bhat, a Kashmir-based operative suspected to have links with the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).Investigators suspect Mondal used WhatsApp to share confidential information about Adhikari’s movements and daily activities with terror-linked handlers.Sarkar’s possible involvement in an alleged honey trap network is also being investigated, sources said. STF is examining her communications and the nature of her association with Mondal to determine whether she had any role in gathering or transmitting any sensitive information, sources said.
