Hamid Mandal, a member of the terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed, was arrested on Friday in Bardhaman by the Bengal STF. Based on the mobile phone and documents recovered, the Bengal STF suspected that the terrorist was planning an attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Arrested terrorist is a close associate of Sajjad Bhat
According to police sources, the arrested terrorist is a close associate of Sajjad Bhat, the mastermind behind the Pulwama attack. He was arrested late last night from a flat in the Renaissance Township area of Bardhaman. Hamid Mandal had been living in a rented flat there for the past two to three months. He will be produced before the Bardhaman court today.
Police said Hamid Mandal had chosen the housing complex as a hideout to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. Police are now probing Mandal's alleged role in the suspected plot targeting Adhikari and are trying to establish the extent of his activities in India.
According to police, Mandal was gathering details related to the Chief Minister's visit and had been closely monitoring the Chief Minister's programme schedule since July 9. Police are analysing the information recovered during the operation and questioning the accused to understand the purpose of collecting these details and whether others were involved.
Who is Hamid Mandal?
- Hamid Mandal is a close aide of Sajjad Bhat, the mastermind behind the Pulwama terror attack.
- As per sources, Hamid was given responsibility by the terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed to expand its network in eastern India.
- Hamid is a resident of Pilkhana, Howrah, West Bengal. His father used to work in a vest factory.
- Hamid was operating his network from Bardhaman and residing at Renaissance Township.
- Sources said Hamid also has a property in the New Town area of Kolkata.
Arrested accused will be produced in court today
The arrested accused will be produced in court today, where the investigative agency may seek his custody. The STF is currently investigating the entire matter, examining the accused's network, contacts, and alleged activities. Investigations into other potential suspects linked to the case and various aspects of the conspiracy are also underway.
What happened in Pulwama in 2019?
It should be noted that a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad had rammed his explosive-laden car into a bus ferrying Central Reserve Police Force personnel on February 14, 2019, in Pulwama, killing 40 jawans.
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Pulwama Attack 5th Anniversary: All you need to know about the tragedy and India's firm response
