20-year-old nabbed in Bankura, probe into alleged terror network expands

A 20-year-old man from West Bengal’s Bankura district has been arrested by the Telangana Police’s Special Task Force (STF) on suspicion of having links with a militant organisation , officials said on Friday.

The accused was apprehended from the Kharban Mor locality in Khatra area during a coordinated operation involving the Telangana STF, local police, and the West Bengal STF. He was later brought to Telangana on transit remand for further questioning.

According to police officials, the arrest was made based on specific intelligence inputs . Investigators are probing the suspect’s alleged connections with extremist elements and examining his potential role in activities linked to a suspected international terror outfit . Sources indicated that he may have been attempting to establish a module in West Bengal .

The breakthrough reportedly came after authorities analysed mobile phone data belonging to three militants who were earlier arrested in Hyderabad. This led investigators to track the suspect’s location in Bankura.

Officials emphasised that all legal procedures were followed during the operation and said further investigation is underway to establish the extent of his involvement.

Meanwhile, the accused’s family has denied the allegations. His mother told reporters that he is “a calm and well-behaved boy ” and expressed disbelief over claims of his involvement in militant activities.

A militant outfit refers to an organised group that uses or advocates the use of violence for political, ideological, or religious objectives, often operating outside the law .