The West Bengal police’s Special Task Force on Tuesday apprehended two men from Memari in East Burdwan on suspicion of spying for a foreign agency and maintaining clandestine links with Pakistan.
Identified as Mukesh Rajak and Rakesh Kumar Gupta, the two were reportedly associated with a voluntary organisation operating in the region. STF sources suspect that the organisation may have served as a cover for more nefarious activities.
According to investigators, the duo allegedly shared sensitive information with foreign handlers under the guise of conducting social work. “The suspected duo transmitted various confidential data to a foreign NGO on multiple occasions,” an STF officer informed. “This revelation has triggered suspicion over whether the NGO in question was engaged in real humanitarian work or acting as a front organisation for espionage on behalf of a foreign country.”
The authorities are now examining whether the information was being routed to militant outfits or other espionage networks based beyond Indian borders.
Also read: Indian Navy HQ clerk held for spying for Pakistan’s ISI
The arrests follow nationwide crackdowns after the Pahelgam massacre, which led to a series of detentions involving individuals from varied backgrounds—including paramilitary personnel and social media influencers, for alleged connections with Pakistan-based operatives.
STF officers said that digital forensics had yielded several leads. “We are analysing technical data, including mobile call records, chat logs and other digital footprints, to identify any collaborators operating from other parts of the country,” said an officer involved in the investigation.
Preliminary interrogation of the accused has thrown up further leads pointing to the possible existence of a wider network. “We suspect that more suspects could be involved in this network and arrests may follow as the probe progresses,” said another officer.
The intelligence community is now focusing its attention on sleeper cells and covert information-sharing platforms that may have eluded scrutiny so far. Officials believe that the latest arrests could help dismantle a larger espionage syndicate that operated across states using seemingly legitimate platforms.
The STF has maintained that the investigation is at a crucial stage and further developments will be revealed once additional suspects are questioned.
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