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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested the prime accused behind the blast at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru from West Bengal. The accused were caught from their hideout in Kolkata. The anti-terror agency said that Mussavir Hussain Shazib had placed the bomb at the cafe and Abdul Matheen Taha was the mastermind of the blast.
Both of them are already wanted in a 2020 terrorism case. The NIA said Abdul Matheen Taha was involved with the Bengaluru Module of ISIS — Al Hind.
The NIA said the accused were hiding under false identities. In a statement, the NIA said the accused were nabbed in a co-ordinated action between Central intelligence agencies and police personnel from West Bengal, Telengana, Karnataka, and Kerala.
Sources said both Shazib and Taha were continuously receiving instructions from a foreign handler. The arrests may expose the sleeper cell module spread in several states, including Karnataka.
After the blast, Shazib took a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus to Goraguntepalya. From there, he took a sttae-run bus to Tumkur. The accused kept on changing buses and travelled to Kalaburagi via Ballari. He then reached Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. From Andhra Pradesh, Shazib reached Kolkata via Odisha.
On the other hand, Abdul Mateen Taha took a separate route, and went to Kolkata via Tamil Nadu. The duo were in touch with each other and finally met in Kolkata. Both of them were planning to leave Kolkata when NIA officials arrested them.
On March 29, the anti-terror agency released the photographs and details of the two accused and announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information on each of them.
The agency had said that Shazib was using the name ‘Mohammed Juned Sayed’ to conceal his identity. Taha was using Hindu identity documents and a forged Aadhar card with the name Vignesh, the agency said.
Last month, the NIA arrested and took into custody one Muzammil Shareef, a resident of Chikkamagaluru, who allegedly extended logistics support to the main accused.
RAMESHWARAM CAFE BLAST: A TIMELINE
At least 10 people were injured after an IED blast at the famous cafe located in Bengaluru’s Brookefield area.
The main accused was captured in CCTV footage on March 1 wearing a full-sleeve shirt, a cap, eyeglasses, and a face mask. He was seen walking towards the cafe with a bag, believed to be carrying the explosive.
At the cafe, the accused ordered rava idli and was captured on CCTV camera placed above a counter in the cafe. However, he did not eat the food and left the cafe. The explosive went off minutes later.
In subsequent CCTV footages, he was seen changing his clothes and appearance multiple times after the explosion.
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