West Bengal STF arrests alleged JEM member Hamed Manda in Bardwan

The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) detained a young man suspected of ties to the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM) in the densely populated Bardwan area of Burdwan district. The individual, identified as Hamed Manda, was arrested near the Renesas Complex on the Durgapur Expressway.

Authorities say Manda previously lived in Kolkata’s New Town, close to the residence of state chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, and that documents related to the chief minister’s daily schedule were recovered from his possession. Police allege he received training in Pakistan, spent time there, and operated in West Bengal as a JEM handler, recruiting and brain‑washing Muslim youths before sending them abroad for further training. Investigators are also questioning landlords in New Town and Bardwan who rented flats to Manda.