Amid JeM threat, Bengal CM Adhikari to travel in bulletproof vehicle
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will be using a bulletproof vehicle amid recent revelations of severe threats to his life from the Pakistan-based, UN-designated terrorist group, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
The revelation was made by the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police following the consecutive arrests of the suspected JeM associate, Hamim Mondal and his female aide, Arpita Sarkar. Both of them also have links with Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN), a Pakistan-based terrorist-criminal group.
While Mondal was arrested from Burdwan town in East Burdwan district on Friday morning, the STF sleuths recovered several incriminating documents related to CM Adhikari’s daily schedules and movement from his possession.
It is learnt that the Chief Minister had already started using the new bulletproof vehicle on Sunday evening. He travelled in that vehicle from his ancestral residence at Kanthi in East Midnapore district to Kolkata on Sunday night.
An insider from the state police said that the bulletproof vehicle was included in his convoy since he became the West Bengal Chief Minister after the recently concluded Assembly polls earlier this year.
However, the state police official added that the Chief Minister preferred not to use it in his daily interaction with people during his travels. The state police officer claimed that, in the current situation considering serious threats on his life, he will have to use that bulletproof vehicle.
On May 6, that is just two days after the results of the Assembly polls were declared, CM Adhikari’s close aide, Chandranath Rath, was assassinated at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district. While one car blocked the path of Rath’s vehicle, motorcycle-borne assassins fired at him from close range. Rath died on the spot.
After that, the top officers involved in the Chief Minister’s security advised him to travel only in a bulletproof vehicle, which was added to his convoy. However, the Chief Minister never used that until Sunday evening in the changed situation.