Rameshwaram cafe blast masterminds arrested in West Bengal; they were hiding under false identities

Kolkata: The anti-terror squad of NIA on Friday arrested two key accused in the Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe blast case from a hideout in poll-bound West Bengal's East Medinipur district, official sources said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the blast case, arrested the two key accused, identified as Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Adbul Matheen Taha, NIA said in a statement.

Mussavir Hussain Shazeb, a resident of Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district, was the the mastermind, who carried out the blast.

"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, " a West Bengal Police twitter account also confirmed.

"Mussavir Hussain Shazib is the accused who placed the IED at the café and Abdul Matheen Taha is the mastermind behind the planning, execution of blast and subsequent evasion from the clutches of law," the NIA statement added.

"In the early morning hours of April 12.,2024, NIA were successful in tracing the absconding accused near Kolkata where they were hiding under false identities. This pursuit, successfully accomplished by NIA was ably supported by energetic co-ordinated action and co-operation between NIA, Central Intelligence agencies and State Police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala police, " the NIA elaborated.

Several people were injured in the IED blast at the cafe located in Brookefield, Bengaluru.

The explosion was carried out by triggering an IED bomb using a timer.

The investigation involved reviewing footage from over 1,000 CCTV cameras to pinpoint the main accused.

West Bengal Police on their X handle said, "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."