The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested the main suspects linked to the IED blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru from West Bengal after a long period of them staying absconding. The duo was held from their hideout in Kanthi.
Identified as Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha, the duo’s arrest sheds light on their alleged involvement in the planning and execution of the blast.
Shazib is said to have placed the improvised explosive device (IED) at the Rameshwaram Cafe, while Taha is believed to be the mastermind behind the attack. Both were already wanted in connection to a terrorism case dating back to 2020, with Taha’s ties reportedly extending to the Bengaluru Module of the ISIS — Al Hind.
The arrest came as a result of a coordinated effort between central intelligence agencies and law enforcement personnel from West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala.
The suspects had reportedly been concealing their identities under false names, with Shazib using the alias “Mohammed Juned Sayed” and Taha resorting to Hindu identity documents alongside a forged Aadhaar card under the name “Vignesh.”
Prior to their arrest, the NIA had released photographs and details of the suspects of the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, offering a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to their arrest. The agency had also detained Muzammil Shareef, a resident of Chikkamagaluru, for allegedly providing logistical support to the main accused.
The blast at the popular cafe in Bengaluru’s Brookefield area left at least 10 people injured. CCTV footage captured the main suspect on March 1, sporting a full-sleeve shirt, cap, eyeglasses and a face mask as he approached the cafe with a bag believed to contain the explosive device.
While ordering food at the counter, he was captured on camera but the footage showed he left without eating anything. The explosion occurred shortly after his departure.
Following the blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe, the suspect was seen on subsequent CCTV footage altering his appearance multiple times in an apparent attempt to evade capture.
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