- Saturday, July 27, 2024
Ten people were injured in the low-intensity blast that rocked the popular Rameswaram Cafe in India’s Silicon Valley on March 1.
By: Shubham Ghosh
TWO men who plotted and executed a blast at Rameswaram Cafe in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru on March 1 have been arrested in the eastern state of West Bengal, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Friday (12) morning.
The duo — Mussavir Hussain Shazeb and Abdul Matheen Taha — were caught following a joint operation by India’s federal intelligence agencies and the police from Bengal. Karnataka, Telangana and Kerala. They were being taken to Kolkata, the capital of Bengal, the anti-terror agency said in a statement.
The arrests were made in Contai in East Midnapore district of the state which borders Bangladesh, India’s eastern neighbour.
NIA Arrests Bengaluru Café Blast Bomber, Along with the Mastermind pic.twitter.com/sSSuyCAwXt
— NIA India (@NIA_India) April 12, 2024
NIA seeks citizen cooperation in identifying the suspect linked to the #RameswaramCafeBlastCase. ? Call 08029510900, 8904241100 or email to [email protected] with any information. Your identity will remain confidential. #BengaluruCafeBlast pic.twitter.com/ISTXBZrwDK
— NIA India (@NIA_India) March 9, 2024
Evidence indicates Shazeb had planted the explosive device, which was inside a backpack, at the popular eatery, India’s NDTV news outlet reported. Taha, on the other hand, was responsible for plotting the attack and for their disappearance from the site.
Read: Is Islamic State module behind Bengaluru cafe blast?
NIA seeks citizen cooperation in identifying the suspect linked to the #RameswaramCafeBlastCase.
? Call 08029510900, 8904241100 or email to [email protected] with any information.
Your identity will remain confidential. #BengaluruCafeBlast pic.twitter.com/l0KUPnoBZD— NIA India (@NIA_India) March 8, 2024
The latest arrests are in fact the second and third ones made in the case. In March, Muzammil Shareef, who had extended logistical backing to Shazeb and Taha, were taken into custody.
Read: Bengaluru cafe blast: Suspect carrying bag spotted in CCTV footage
Shazeb and Taha are residents of Shivamogga district of Karnataka of which Bengaluru is the capital and their location in Bengal was traced after officials carried out searches at 18 places across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and even the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Ten people were injured in the blast and they included both customers and staff members. The popular cafe is located in a prime location in eastern Bengaluru, known to be India’s information technology capital, at peak lunch hour.
The NIA, which has been investigating the matter, released pictures and videos of the accused, as seen on CCTV cameras across the city. In one of those clips, the accused was seen boarding a bus wearing a face mask.
