B'luru blast: NIA releases key details

B’luru blast: NIA releases key details

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two suspects, Adbul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazeb, in connection with the Bengaluru cafe blast case. The arrests were made in Kolkata, where the suspects were hiding under false identities.

Taha is believed to be the mastermind behind the planning and execution of the blast, while Shazeb is accused of placing the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the Rameshwaram Cafe. The NIA, along with central intelligence agencies and state police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala, coordinated efforts to apprehend the suspects.

“In the morning hours of April 12, 2024, NIA was successful in tracing the absconding accused near Kolkata where they were hiding under false identities,” an official said.

This pursuit was supported by coordinated action and cooperation among the NIA, central intelligence agencies and the state police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala, the official added.

The NIA had last month announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of these two accused.

The arrest was aided by a cap that one of the suspects, Musavir Hussain Shazeb, was wearing, which helped police identify them. CCTV images showed their faces before they bought the cap. The NIA had recovered the cap soon after the blast. The Tamil Nadu team tracked the cap to a shop in a mall in Mylapore, Chennai, where Shazeb and Taha had bought it in January.

Furthermore, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, claimed credit for the arrests, stating that it was her government that ensured the arrest of the two accused. She made these remarks during an election rally in Cooch Behar.

The blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe on ITPL Road, Brookefield, Bengaluru, on March 1, left at least 10 people injured. The NIA had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. The agency took over the probe on March 3.

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