The accused, Hamim Mondal, who was arrested from Purba Bardhaman district two days ago, is alleged to have links with the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Addressing a press conference, STF Inspector General Gaurav Sharma said Pakistani handlers had instructed Mondal to enter the student protest at Jantar Mantar disguised as a police officer and create unrest.

"Pakistani handlers asked Hamim Mondal to infiltrate the student protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi while dressed in a police uniform and carry out disturbances," Sharma said.

According to the STF, Mondal was also assigned the task of tracking the movements of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

"The chief minister was one of the targets," Sharma said. "Hamim was asked to gather information on the places the chief minister could remain unguarded."

Investigators said questioning of Mondal led to the identification of multiple alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad handlers operating from Pakistan with links extending into West Bengal.

A local court has remanded Mondal to 14 days of STF custody for further investigation.

Meanwhile, Mondal's girlfriend, Arpita Sarkar, was arrested from Jharkhand on Friday. Police alleged that the duo had conspired to honeytrap and kidnap the son of West Bengal minister Umesh Ray and extort money from the family.

According to officials, the alleged conspiracy was carried out under the directions of Pakistani handlers linked to the Shahzad Bhatti gang.

The STF claimed Sarkar had allegedly honey-trapped several prominent individuals, including politicians, to gather sensitive information, which was then passed on to Mondal. Investigators said WhatsApp conversations recovered during the probe indicated links with contacts in Pakistan.

During searches, the agency also recovered international SIM cards issued in the United Kingdom and Mexico. Officials suspect the SIM cards were used for encrypted communication with handlers and suspected sleeper cells.

The STF further alleged that Mondal had been radicalised through social media before coming into contact with Pakistan-based operatives.

Investigators have identified individuals using the aliases "Rana," "Uzair," "Abid Jatt 333," and "Hamad" as suspected handlers associated with the Shahzad Bhatti gang, which is believed to be involved in radicalisation, terror recruitment and narco-terror activities.

According to the investigation, Mondal and Sarkar first connected on Instagram and had been in a relationship for four years. The STF reportedly traced Sarkar's social media profile while probing the alleged honeytrap case, which eventually led investigators to Mondal.

Officials said the investigation is continuing to determine the full extent of the alleged terror network, identify other members of the module and examine possible cross-border links. They added that further details could not be disclosed at this stage because of the sensitivity of the investigation.

(with NDTV inputs)