Kolkata: The two key accused, who plotted and executed last month’s blast at Rameshwaram Café in Bengaluru, were arrested from Kanthi in West Bengal’s East Medinipur district, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.
Adbul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazeb were traced to their hideout and were apprehended Friday morning, the NIA said in a statement.
According to the federal agency, Shazeb placed the improvised explosive device (IED) at the café while Taha is the mastermind behind the planning and execution.
The blast at the popular cafe in Bengaluru on 1 March had injured 10 people. Earlier, one suspect, identified as Muzammil Shareef, was arrested in connection with the Bengaluru blast.
Taha and Shazeb had set up a base in Chennai in January to carry out the blast. They are said to have stayed in Maharashtra, Karnataka and even Kerala.
On 7 March, the duo vacated their rented accommodation in Chennai before they went on the run. The NIA conducted searches across 18 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh and announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each of the absconders on 29 March.
In a joint operation carried out by the NIA, central intelligence agencies along with police teams of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala traced the absconding duo in East Medinipur district.
Taha and Shazeb were hiding under false identities, said the NIA. The police also seized laptops, mobiles and fake ID documents from the duo in East Medinipur.
Sources in the NIA told ThePrint that the duo was on the anti-terrorism agency’s radar previously in 2020. According to reports, Taha used cryptocurrency to finance and execute the operation.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Police issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, asserting that the two suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast were arrested in a joint operation with the central intelligence agencies.
“The proactive role of West Bengal Police in the matter has been officially acknowledged by the Central Agencies. West Bengal has NEVER been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain ever-vigilant in keeping its people safe from nefarious activities,” it said in a statement, rebutting the claims of BJP IT chief Amit Malviya after he alleged that Bengal, under Mamata Banerjee, has become “a safe haven for terrorists”.
NIA detains two chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib and accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from Kolkata. Both likely belong to ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka.
West Bengal, unfortunately, under Mamata Banerjee, has become a safe…
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 12, 2024
Falsehood at its worst!
Contrary to the claims made by @amitmalviya, the fact is that, two suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case have been arrested from Purba Medinipur in a JOINT operation by the West Bengal Police and the Central Intelligence Agencies. (1/2)
— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) April 12, 2024
Who is the Chief Minister and Home Minister of West Bengal? Has Mamata Banerjee resigned or too incompetent to defend her poor track record on law and order? Every time she has no answers, which is often, she hides behind @WBPolice. https://t.co/XtQPfbB3bW
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 12, 2024
“West Bengal Police played a commendable role in today’s arrest. The information had been passed on to the State Police by NIA, there should be no politics over it. The police extended full cooperation,” a senior NIA officer told ThePrint.
“Last night, we got information based on which WB police and central intelligence agency launched a joint operation and within two hours, arrested the accused duo of the Rameshwaram Cafe blast,” East Medinipur Superintendent of Police Soumyadip Bhattacharya said at a news briefing.
The NIA identified the suspects after scanning CCTV footage from the day of the blast. The breakthrough happened when Shareef, was arrested 26 March for providing logistical help, fake SIM cards, mobile phones to execute the explosion.
On 5 April, the NIA had said that it was summoning and examining all of the acquaintances, including college and school friends, of the absconding and arrested accused persons to gather evidence and information in the case.
The NIA probe into the Shivamogga IS module revealed that youths, including young engineers and IT enthusiasts, were adept with cryptocurrency routes for funds. This terror module is reported to have received cryptocurrency from abroad between 2020 and 2022.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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