Kolkata

The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) on Monday arrested a suspected associate of alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Hamim Mondal from Howrah in connection with an ongoing probe into an alleged espionage network, a senior officer said.

The accused, identified as Aditya Singh alias Raj alias Raju, was apprehended from Belilious Road following leads obtained during the interrogation of Mondal and his alleged associate, Arpita Sarkar, he said.

"The arrest was made on the basis of specific leads that emerged during the investigation. We are now focused on identifying others linked to the alleged network," a senior STF officer said, without divulging further details.

Investigators suspect Aditya came in contact with Mondal through an online gaming platform and was subsequently drawn into the alleged conspiracy.

READ MORE: Shabana Dagar safeguards 500-year musical legacy

"He is suspected to have collected information related to Minister of State for Urban Development Umesh Rai and his son and shared it with the accused," the STF official said.