Kolkata: Pakistani national Rana Rouf Khalid (36), who was arrested by Bengal STF on Wednesday for his alleged links with Pakistan’s ISI, had visited Kolkata at least six times since 2014-15, having spent between one and two months each at Topsia. His last visit was in Jan, said an officer.Rouf, who was introduced by his aide Mohammad Ejaz Ahmed as his “brother”, had even enrolled as a voter. However, during SIR earlier this year, Rouf remained “absent” and was asked to furnish his citizenship details. When Rouf failed to do so, his name was struck off the rolls.STF sources said Ejaz, now arrested, used the name of his father, Juber Alam, to falsely present Rouf as his own son. This helped the Faisalabad resident obtain a voter ID card in Kolkata. He later used that to get a PAN card and Aadhaar card as well.Investigators have now come across evidence that Rouf was in touch with at least five ISI handlers, at least two to three of them operating from Kathmandu and another from Bangladesh.During questioning by Bengal STF, Rouf admitted that he had once dreamt of joining Pakistan Army, but physical issues prevented him from getting in. He received karate training in Pakistan’s Punjab province and had a business in Kathmandu. Rouf met Ejaz at a mosque in the Nepal capital. After striking up friendship, he came to Kolkata.Sleuths claimed the first time he arrived in Kolkata, Rouf had no Indian identity documents. Later, he entered India illegally through the Raxaul international border in Bihar. He used the same route for all six of his visits to India. Each time, Ejaz accompanied him.“Rouf had business interests in Nepal. That is how Pak handlers tapped him. Since Ejaz was a regular in Kathmandu where he worked as a carpenter, it was here that the entire espionage plan was chalked out. We believe he was tasked to send footage of high security zones like Fort William and Barrackpore cantonment, along with railway infrastructure. However, he has not carried all his devices while coming to Bengal this time. We are using technical leads to question him,” said an STF officer.After obtaining a voter ID card, Rouf acquired multiple SIM cards. He used those SIMs to stay in touch with ISI. His next plan was to cross over to Bangladesh through Bongaon border and then return to Pakistan from there.“During a search, STF recovered Rs 350 in cash, two SIM cards and an old notebook containing several mobile phone numbers from Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. No mobile phone was found in his possession,” a senior police officer said.
