In a significant security operation, the West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two individuals in Purba Bardhaman district for their alleged involvement with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The accused, identified as Rakesh Kumar Gupta and Mukesh Rajak, were apprehended on Saturday night following a tip-off and subsequent search operations in the region.
Authorities claim the duo was engaged in passing sensitive information to ISI operatives, posing a threat to national security. Gupta, a resident of South Kolkata’s Bhawanipur, and Rajak, from Panagarh in West Burdwan, were reportedly operating under the guise of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) while maintaining contact with individuals in Pakistan.
The STF’s investigation revealed that the suspects had been in communication with ISI handlers, allegedly sharing critical data.
The arrests were executed after meticulous planning, with Rajak detained at a nursing home where he was receiving treatment and Gupta apprehended from a rented residence in Memari. On Monday, both individuals were produced before a Kolkata court, which remanded them to seven days of police custody for further interrogation. The STF is now probing the extent of their network, the nature of the information shared, and the duration of their alleged espionage activities.
The state police are collaborating with central agencies to unravel any broader connections to foreign intelligence operations. The case has heightened concerns about the misuse of NGOs as fronts for illicit activities, prompting calls for stricter oversight. These arrests come months after several high profile arrests including that of popular YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra one charges of allegedly spying for Pakistan. Following Pahalgam terror attack in April this year, that claimed lives of 26 tourists, India has escalated vigilance across the country weeding out alleged secret service agents working at the behest of Pakistan ISI.
