Delhi STF arrests most-wanted Wasim Lambu from Nandigram, West Bengal
Synopsis
A Delhi STF team crossed state lines to Nandigram and pulled out Wasim Lambu — a fugitive carrying roughly 125 criminal cases including murder — in a joint operation with West Bengal Police. The arrest is part of a wider pattern of high-stakes security actions in Bengal, which has seen Jaish-e-Mohammed suspects and a Pakistan-linked terror network also netted within days.
Key Takeaways
Wasim Lambu , facing approximately 125 cases including murder, was arrested from Nandigram, East Midnapore on 10 August by the Delhi STF .
Lambu, originally from Darbhanga, Bihar , had been hiding in Nandigram after absconding from Jahangir Puri, Delhi .
Charges against him include murder, robbery, kidnapping, rape, theft, and assault on police.
Separately, Bengal STF arrested suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed associate Hamim Mandal from Burdwan , allegedly tasked with surveilling Shuvendu Adhikari .
The Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) , a Pakistan-based group, allegedly targeted family members of at least six West Bengal cabinet ministers through honey-trapping and blackmail.
Three SBN-linked suspects — Mandal, Arpita Srakar , and Aditya Singh — have been arrested across West Bengal and Jharkhand .
The Special Task Force (STF) of the Delhi Police on Monday, 10 August arrested Wasim Lambu, a most-wanted murder accused with approximately 125 registered cases against him, from Nandigram in East Midnapore district of West Bengal. The operation was carried out in active coordination with the local police, marking a significant cross-state law enforcement success.
How the Arrest Unfolded
Acting on a tip-off, a Delhi STF team travelled to Nandigram and liaised with the local police station. Joint raid and search operations were subsequently conducted across multiple locations before Lambu was traced to a house adjacent to the Chowringhee Bazar area under Kendyamari Village Panchayat.
According to an officer from the East Midnapore district police, Lambu is originally from Darbhanga in Bihar but had been residing in the Jahangir Puri area of Delhi for several years, where the bulk of the cases against him were registered. He had been absconding, and STF officials reportedly learnt of his Nandigram hideout through recent intelligence inputs.
The Scale of Charges Against Lambu
Beyond murder, Lambu faces charges of robbery, kidnapping, rape, theft, and assault on police personnel — a profile that had placed him among Delhi Police's most-wanted fugitives. Investigators described his arrest as a major operational success for the force.
West Bengal's Broader Security Backdrop
The arrest comes amid a series of high-profile security operations in West Bengal. Just days earlier, the STF of West Bengal Police arrested Hamim Mandal, a suspected associate of the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, from Burdwan in East Burdwan district. According to investigators, Mandal had been tasked with monitoring the movements of West Bengal Leader of Opposition Shuvendu Adhikari.
On the same day as Mandal's arrest, Bengal STF also detained his associate Arpita Srakar from Sahibganj in neighbouring Jharkhand. Both Mandal and Srakar are described by investigators as active operatives of the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN), a Pakistan-based terrorist-criminal organisation. Investigators allege that through Srakar, the SBN targeted family members of at least six sitting West Bengal cabinet ministers through honey-trapping and blackmail operations. Subsequently, STF sleuths also arrested Aditya Singh, another alleged associate of Mandal, from Howrah district.
What This Signals
The cluster of arrests underscores West Bengal's emergence as an operational corridor for both domestic fugitives and cross-border terror networks. The multi-agency, multi-state nature of these operations — spanning Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand — points to a coordinated intelligence-sharing framework that authorities say is yielding results. Whether these arrests will lead to deeper network dismantling remains to be seen.
Point of View
But the larger story is West Bengal's growing profile as a refuge for fugitives and a staging ground for cross-border networks. The near-simultaneous arrests of a Jaish-e-Mohammed suspect and Shahzad Bhatti Network operatives — targeting sitting cabinet ministers — suggest a level of organised penetration that goes beyond routine crime. Whether these are isolated successes or the beginning of a sustained crackdown will depend on whether intelligence sharing between Delhi, Bengal, and central agencies is institutionalised rather than episodic.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Wasim Lambu and why was he arrested?
Wasim Lambu is a most-wanted criminal originally from Darbhanga, Bihar, against whom approximately 125 cases — including murder, robbery, kidnapping, rape, and assault on police — are registered with the Delhi Police. He was arrested on 10 August from Nandigram in West Bengal's East Midnapore district after a joint operation by the Delhi STF and local police.
How did Delhi STF locate Wasim Lambu in West Bengal?
According to reports, STF officials received a tip-off that Lambu was hiding in Nandigram after absconding from Delhi's Jahangir Puri area. A Delhi STF team then coordinated with the Nandigram Police Station and conducted joint raids before locating him near Chowringhee Bazar under Kendyamari Village Panchayat.
Who is Hamim Mandal and what is the Shahzad Bhatti Network?
Hamim Mandal is a suspected associate of the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, arrested by the West Bengal STF from Burdwan. He is also linked to the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN), a Pakistan-based terrorist-criminal organisation that allegedly targeted family members of at least six West Bengal cabinet ministers through honey-trapping and blackmail.
What is the significance of these arrests for West Bengal's security?
The cluster of arrests — spanning a Delhi fugitive, a Jaish-e-Mohammed suspect, and multiple SBN operatives — highlights West Bengal as an active corridor for both domestic criminals and cross-border networks. The operations involved agencies and locations across West Bengal, Delhi, Bihar, and Jharkhand, pointing to coordinated multi-state intelligence efforts.
Who else was arrested in connection with the Shahzad Bhatti Network?
Alongside Hamim Mandal, Bengal STF arrested Arpita Srakar from Sahibganj in Jharkhand and subsequently Aditya Singh from Howrah district in West Bengal. All three are described by investigators as active associates within the SBN network.
