Arpita Sarkar and Hamim Mandal Arrested in SBn Terror Scheme

West Bengal’s Special Task Force announced the arrests of two key operatives linked to the Shahed Bhatthi Network. Hamim Mandal was taken into custody on Friday morning from Bardhaman, while Arpita Sarkar was seized later that night in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district.

During interrogation, Mandal admitted that he introduced Sarkar to the SBN handler, effectively handing over the conduit for the honey‑trap mission. The handler subsequently communicated directly with Sarkar, issuing specific instructions for each interaction with the targeted families.

Both suspects are currently being held for further questioning, and their electronic devices have been handed over to cyber‑analysis teams to unravel the encrypted communication patterns that facilitated the plot.