Bengal STF probes mobile phones found in Aftab Ansari's prison cell
Synopsis
A convicted terrorist serving life for the 2002 American Centre attack in Kolkata was found with three active mobile phones, routers, a Wi-Fi device, and ₹31,000 cash in his prison cell. The STF has taken over, and investigators are now probing whether calls were made to Pakistan — raising the alarm that India's most secure correctional facilities may have a dangerous security gap.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata STF took over the probe on Monday into contraband recovered from Aftab Ansari's cell at Presidency Central Correctional Home .
Recovered items include three mobile phones , two routers , a Wi-Fi device , two card readers, a pen drive, earphones, and ₹31,000 in cash.
Ansari, mastermind of the January 2002 American Centre attack , had links to Pakistan-based outfits HUJI and JeM .
Investigators are probing possible calls to Pakistan and whether a conspiracy was being coordinated from inside custody.
Smartphones were also recovered from cells of Subodh Roy and Anish Thakur , both accused in the murder of BJP leader Manish Shukla .
Prison officials and staff are not being ruled out as facilitators; a separate CID probe ordered in May remains ongoing.
The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police on Monday took over the investigation into the recovery of mobile phones and internet-enabled devices from the cell of Aftab Ansari at the Presidency Central Correctional Home in Kolkata. Ansari is serving life imprisonment as the mastermind behind the January 2002 attack on the American Centre in Kolkata — one of the most audacious terrorist strikes on Indian soil in the post-9/11 period.
What Was Recovered
Sleuths from the Kolkata Police detective department conducted a raid on Friday night and recovered three mobile phones with active internet connections, two routers, a Wi-Fi device, two card readers, a pen drive, earphones, and ₹31,000 in cash — all in ₹500 denominations — from Ansari's clothes and bedding. The Hastings Police Station registered a formal case. All recovered items have been sent for forensic examination.
Why the Discovery Has Alarmed Investigators
Ansari is no ordinary convict. He was a key operator of the Asif Reza Commando (ARC), a terrorist outfit with documented links to Pakistan-based groups including Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HUJI) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Investigators are probing whether calls were placed to Pakistan, what conspiracies may have been discussed from inside custody, and who Ansari was in contact with. The recovered phones reportedly contained multiple apps, including WhatsApp and Telegram. Sources indicate he had been making mobile calls multiple times daily before the raid.
Other High-Profile Inmates in the Same Ward
Ansari's cell — number 14 in the 1/22 ward of the Presidency Correctional Facility — is housed alongside other high-profile accused. Subodh Roy (cell 52) and Anish Thakur (cell 19), both accused in the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manish Shukla, are lodged in the same ward. Smartphones were reportedly recovered from their cells as well, deepening questions about systemic lapses in the facility.
Political and Institutional Response
The findings have reignited a long-running political controversy over prison governance in West Bengal. After the BJP government came to power in the state, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had publicly flagged the use of mobile phones by inmates and the reported prevalence of drug trafficking inside correctional homes. In May, he ordered a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into how phones were reaching prisoners — an investigation that remains ongoing. Investigators in the current case are not ruling out the involvement of prison officials and staff in facilitating access to the devices.
What Happens Next
Security around Ansari's cell has since been tightened, and authorities are interrogating him inside the facility. The STF's takeover signals that the probe has moved beyond a routine prison-contraband case into a potential national security inquiry. The forensic results from the recovered devices are expected to be a critical turning point in establishing the scope of Ansari's communications from behind bars.
Point of View
Not incidental. West Bengal's correctional infrastructure has been a political flashpoint, but the STF takeover signals that the Centre may now treat this as something far more serious than state-level negligence.
NationPress
31 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Aftab Ansari and why is he in prison?
Aftab Ansari is a convicted terrorist serving life imprisonment for masterminding the January 2002 attack on the American Centre in Kolkata. He was a key operator of the Asif Reza Commando (ARC), which had ties to Pakistan-based outfits including HUJI and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
What was recovered from Aftab Ansari's prison cell?
Police recovered three mobile phones with active internet connections, two routers, a Wi-Fi device, two card readers, a pen drive, earphones, and ₹31,000 in cash from Ansari's clothes and bedding during a raid on Friday night.
Why has the STF taken over the investigation?
The STF took over because the case has potential national security dimensions. Investigators are probing whether Ansari used the devices to contact people in Pakistan and whether any conspiracy was being coordinated from inside the Presidency Central Correctional Home.
Are prison officials suspected of involvement?
Investigators are not ruling out the involvement of prison officials and staff in facilitating access to the contraband devices. A separate CID probe ordered in May into how mobile phones reach inmates is also ongoing.
Which other inmates were found with phones in the same ward?
Subodh Roy (cell 52) and Anish Thakur (cell 19), both accused in the murder of BJP leader Manish Shukla, are lodged in the same 1/22 ward. Smartphones were reportedly recovered from their cells as well.
