Two prime accused, including the “mastermind”, behind the Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast on March 1 have been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from their hideout in West Bengal on Friday.
The NIA said that the two Bengaluru Cafe blast accused – Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha – were arrested from Kanthi in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district on Friday morning.
Their role in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast
Sharing the details of the role of the two arrested, the anti-terror agency said, Taha was the mastermind of the attack and was responsible for planning the attack, while Shazib planted the explosive device at the cafe in Bengaluru.
Another key conspirator, Muzammil Shareef, who extended logistical support to the main accused, was nabbed on March 26.
Both Shazib and Taha are already wanted in a 2020 terrorism case. The investigating agency also informed that Taha was involved with Al Hind, the Bengaluru Module of ISIS.
Duo was hiding in West Bengal under false identity
After the blast in Rameshwaram cafe, both Taha and Shazib fled from Bengaluru and came to West Bengal, where they were hiding under false identities near Kolkata.
The NIA informed that Shazib was using the name ‘Mohammed Juned Sayed’ to conceal his identity, while Taha was using Hindu identity documents and a forged Aadhar card with the name Vignesh.
NIA manhant for Bengaluru cafe blast mastermind, bomber
The blast took place on March 1 in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe during the busy lunch hour. It left several injured. The case was handed over to the NIA on March 3.
After taking over the case, the agency browsed through CCTV camera footage and got pictures of the accused behind the blast. The a photograph of the bomber keeping a bag in the cafe was released in which he was seen wearing a cap, black pants, and black shoes.
Last week, the NIA had identified Shazib and Taha, both residents of Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district of Karnataka, as prime accused and conducted searches at 18 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh to nab them.
Also a bounty of Rs 10 lakh was announced for information about the bomber in connection with the blast at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe. It also emphasised that the confidentiality of the informants’ identities will be maintained.
On Friday morning, a NIA team traced the two men to Kolkata where they were hiding.
“This pursuit, successfully accomplished by NIA was ably supported by energetic co-ordinated action and co-operation between NIA, Central Intelligence agencies and State Police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala police,” the NIA said in a statement.
With inputs from agencies
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