3 min readKolkataAug 12, 2026 01:56 PM IST
First published on: Aug 12, 2026 at 01:38 PM IST
The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) arrested a suspected Pakistani national along the India-Bangladesh border in Bongaon early Wednesday morning. Rana Raut was allegedly living in India under the assumed name Wahab Alam using forged identification documents.
Investigators suspect Raut of having long-standing links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and of being involved in espionage and terror-related activities. According to STF sources, Raut is originally a resident of Faisalabad, Pakistan. He allegedly entered India via Nepal in 2012 before settling in West Bengal.
During the search operation, officers seized sensitive materials, including photographs of railway stations, train movements, and tracks across the country, as well as documents related to the Indian Army. Investigators found that Raut had transmitted these images to multiple phone numbers. The STF is currently tracking those contacts to ascertain their identities and determine whether financial transactions were made in exchange for the intelligence.
Investigators are also looking into Raut’s contacts within West Bengal and trying to identify who was scheduled to receive him across the border in Bangladesh.
Network and forged documents
During interrogation, Raut disclosed that a carpenter residing in Kolkata’s Topsia neighbourhood had helped him procure fraudulent Indian documents, including a voter card and an Aadhaar card. The duo had reportedly met in Nepal prior to Raut entering India. Following Raut’s confession, the STF arrested the carpenter, who is currently undergoing interrogation to identify other potential members of the network.
STF sources said that Raut attempted to flee to Bangladesh after learning of the carpenter’s recent arrest on terror-related suspicions. Acting on a specific tip-off regarding his escape plan, the STF launched a targeted search in Bongaon early Wednesday, resulting in his capture. Preliminary investigations suggest Raut maintained contact with the ISI for several years, allegedly leaking critical information regarding senior Indian officials.
Commenting on the arrest, minister Agnimitra Paul said, “Having taken charge just three months ago, our administration is working to address issues left by the previous government, which allowed illegal infiltration for electoral gains. It will take time to address these deep-rooted networks completely. Sleeper cells are present, and we urge all citizens to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious individuals to the authorities.”
The arrest comes amid a series of high-profile crackdowns by the Bengal STF. Recently, the police arrested Hamim Mondal, a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) associate, from a residential township in Burdwan for allegedly tracking the movements of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The operation subsequently led to the arrests of Mondal’s associate Arpita Sarkar in Jharkhand and Aditya Singh, a college student from Howrah, accused of supplying information to Mondal.
Pakistani ISI suspect Rana Raut was arrested by the West Bengal STF near the Bangladesh border while allegedly attempting to flee to Bangladesh (File photo for representative use). 
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