Kolkata, 13 August (H.S.): A day after the arrest of a Pakistani national and his alleged associate in West Bengal, the state police's Special Task Force (STF) has intensified its investigation, with a particular focus on the recovery of a map and photographs related to Fort William, the headquarters of the Indian Army's Eastern Command in Kolkata.

Investigators are now trying to establish how the accused obtained the map and photographs and for what purpose the material was allegedly being kept or used.

The West Bengal STF arrested Rana Rauf Khalid alias Wahab Alam and his associate Mohammed Ejaz late Tuesday night from the Habra area of North 24 Parganas. According to officials, the two were allegedly attempting to travel towards the Bangladesh border via Jessore Road when they were intercepted.

A senior STF officer said the recovery of the Fort William-related material has emerged as a significant aspect of the investigation. The agency is examining how the documents and photographs reached the accused and whether they were connected to any suspected intelligence-gathering activity.

Investigators are also examining the accused's mobile phones. According to the STF, the devices contained social media conversations and several phone numbers linked to Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Investigators have also found indications that some conversations and phone numbers had allegedly been deleted.

The STF is now attempting to retrieve and examine the deleted material. Investigators are seeking to establish the nature of the accused's contacts, the content of their communications and whether any information was allegedly exchanged through these channels.

The agency is also probing whether the two arrested men were part of a larger network. A key line of inquiry is whether any information related to Indian military establishments or military activities was allegedly collected and transmitted outside the country.

Officials suspect that Rauf may have links with Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Investigators are examining his activities, contacts and movements in India to establish the nature of these suspected links.

The STF is also examining whether information related to military infrastructure and activities around the Petrapole and Ghojadanga border areas was allegedly being collected. Another angle being explored is whether the accused were preparing for any major operation ahead of Independence Day on August 15.

Officials, however, have stressed that the investigation is still at an early stage and no definitive conclusion has been reached regarding these possibilities.

According to a senior officer, the investigating team has also been in contact with military intelligence agencies as part of the probe. Following the arrests, investigators are examining not only the security implications along the international border but also the possible role of a network involved in preparing or arranging fake Indian identity documents.

After his arrest, Rauf was taken to Habra Hospital for a medical examination on Tuesday night. Both accused were subsequently produced before a court in Barasat, which remanded them to 14 days of police custody.

The STF is now examining the evidence recovered from the accused, their digital communications and their alleged contacts to determine whether the case is limited to illegal entry and identity-related offences or points to a wider network involving suspected intelligence activities.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh