STF raid on Hwh flats where terror suspect ran business | Kolkata News

Alam Mistry Lane in Howrah, where Hamim Modal had rented a flat

Howrah: Suspected terrorist Hamim Mondal and his father, Maniruddin Mondal, operated a business from the ground floor of 7 Alam Mistry Lane in ward 13 of the Howrah Municipal Corporation— the same ward where minister of state for urban development Umesh Rai lives and which is represented by his wife, Geeta Rai, as councillor.Hamim, along with his girlfriend, Arpita Sarkar, had allegedly targeted Rai’s family. On Sunday, Bengal STF raided multiple addresses in Pilkhana, where Hamim used to live.The father and son had rented two flats in the building for Rs 11,000 a month on the pretext of running a business printing barcodes, price tags and size stickers for readymade garments.According to Shamima Begum, a neighbouring shop worker, and Mohammad Ali, the building’s caretaker and co-developer, Maniruddin rented the flats about 18 months ago. Though he paid rent regularly through a broker, the shop remained shut for months before operations began about 7 months ago with three employees.Witnesses said Hamim often visited the premises in the evenings carrying bags or machine parts, sometimes accompanied by two or three young men. One room was used for printing while Hamim worked on a computer in another. Maniruddin lived nearby with his family.The pair vacated the property after May 4, paying three months’ rent. Neighbours later learnt from the broker that they had bought an expensive flat in Burdwan, fuelling suspicions about their sudden wealth.An associate of Rai alleged that Hamim repeatedly threatened the minister, calling himself a “Pakistani agent” and threatening to kidnap his son, prompting Rai to file a police complaint. Residents said suspected illegal immigrants had earlier been caught from Alam Mistry Lane and Watkins Lane, blaming unverified rentals through brokers.Omprakash Singh, advocate and secretary of the Howrah Sadar BJP, alleged poor policing in wards 12, 13, 15 and 16 under previous administrations had encouraged criminal activity, though increased policing had since driven many suspects out. He claimed police now make 70-80 arrests daily across Howrah’s slum areas.Md Rustam, Trinamool councillor for Ward 16, said he had helped police remove 36 suspected illegal immigrants over the past year and that more could be identified.