The Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal on Saturday arrested Abbas Uddin Mollah, the third such person with alleged links to the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to be nabbed by state forces within 24 hours, indicating that the combing operation will continue.

On Friday, the Bengal STF arrested Ajmal Hossain and Saheb Ali Khan from
Birbhum’s Nalhati and Muraroi, respectively.

Abbas Uddin is a resident of Pathra village in South 24-Parganas’ Diamond Harbour. He was arrested from there, but produced in Birbhum’s Rampurhat court with Hossain and Khan.

A source in the STF said there were intelligence inputs against all three for having links with the JMB, a banned militant group originating in neighbouring Bangladesh. The JMB is a known terror outfit involved in multiple activities in Bengal and
eastern India.

All three individuals were found to be propagating the ideology of the JMB and were part of a module engaged in the dissemination of seditious and jihadi materials using sophisticated encrypted methods, the STF source said. They were also planning to target certain individuals and places, posing a threat to the sovereignty of the nation, the source added.

“All three were connected with JMB, and their role was to increase the membership of the banned outfit by promoting radical ideology. They used to share their thoughts, narratives, and agendas through highly encrypted social media platforms,” said Saikat Hati, the assistant public prosecutor of Rampurhat court.

“The STF has sought 14 days’ police custody for the trio and the court has granted 13 days,” Hati added.

He said that all three were accused of hatching a conspiracy against the state, along with other allegations of involvement in the banned terror outfit.

A source in the STF said that Hossain had earlier tried to enter Bangladesh territory in connection with “jihadi activities” and had links in other parts of the sub-continent.

“The arrested trio, along with other associates, also tried to procure firearms and planned to prepare explosives to propagate and practice the ideology of ‘Ghazwatul Hind’,” said the source.

A source said the STF and state police took swift action against individuals based on intelligence inputs regarding their involvement with JMB and other terror outfits.

“After the conflict between India and Pakistan began, the government took a strong stance to arrest anyone suspected of involvement with the JMB or any other terror module. Several such individuals have been interrogated over the past few days. The process of identifying such individuals with JMB links residing in the state will continue,” said a senior police officer.

As tensions with Pakistan intensified, the state police took multiple proactive measures with chief minister Mamata Banerjee announcing that during such a time of crisis, the state and Union governments would work together to prevent any conspiracy or anti-national activities.

Tensions between India and Pakistan were temporarily defused on Saturday afternoon when both countries agreed to a ceasefire following intervention by the
US administration.

However, a source in the state police said the search for individuals connected with banned terror outfits would not stop as Bengal shares an extended border
with Bangladesh.

Detentions

Hooghly rural police on Saturday detained two individuals for posting statements on social media deemed against the sovereignty of the nation and intended to provoke tensions. “In such a crucial time, we can’t take risks in our state,” said a police source.