Bengal STF arrests suspected associate of alleged Pakistani intelligence operative in Kolkata

PTI, August 17, 2026, Kolkata: The Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police on Monday arrested a suspected associate of alleged Pakistani intelligence operative Rana Rauf, who was earlier apprehended in connection with an alleged espionage network operating from Kolkata, a senior officer said.

The accused, identified as Imran, was arrested from a flat in the Topsia area of the city, he said.

According to the STF officer, Imran allegedly helped Rauf in his attempts to obtain an Indian passport using forged documents.

The STF suspect that several other people may also have been involved in the operation and are working to trace them, the officer said.

A senior STF officer said the arrest was part of the investigation into the network allegedly being built by Rauf in Kolkata.

"The investigation has revealed that Imran was allegedly assisting Rauf in arranging documents for an Indian passport. We are examining his links with other members of the network and verifying the documents and other material recovered during the investigation," the officer said.

Rauf, arrested last week in Habra in North 24 Parganas district of Bengal, is suspected by the STF to be a native of Faisalabad in Pakistan.

Investigators allege that he had links with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and had entered India in 2012 using forged documents after spending several years in Nepal.

The STF suspects that Rauf had been passing information related to the Indian army and the railways to his alleged handlers in Pakistan, he said.

The STF also obtained details of a Pakistani passport allegedly used by Rauf.

According to STF sources, the passport had been sent to Dhaka for travel arrangements for a proposed journey from Dhaka to Karachi.

"The passport details have provided investigators with additional leads as they probe Rauf's movements and his alleged links with others," he said.

The STF is also probing allegations that Rauf had been attempting to obtain an Indian passport before the commencement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state.

Investigators suspect that Imran and several others were assisting him in the process.

Police further suspect that Imran was involved in preparing passports using forged documents and that the group was allegedly attempting to establish sleeper cells of militants with Kolkata as a base.

"We are investigating the larger conspiracy and the possible involvement of other persons. At this stage, our priority is to identify every link in the network, establish their roles and verify the suspected activities," the senior STF officer said.