NIA makes first arrest in Bengaluru cafe blast case
- In Reports
- 11:32 AM, Mar 29, 2024
- Myind Staff
In a major breakthrough in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast incident in Bengaluru, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said that it has arrested a 30-year-old individual in Karnataka for his involvement in "providing logistical support" for the bomb blast on March 1.
The NIA stated that Muzammil Shareef, identified as a key conspirator who provided logistical aid to two other suspects involved in the minor explosion at the renowned eatery, was apprehended on Wednesday following extensive raids conducted by multiple teams of the federal agency at 18 different locations across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
The investigation agency has identified the main accused as Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain, who allegedly carried out the blast and was caught on the CCTV footage of Rameshwaram cafe. The remaining accused was identified as Abdul Mateen Taha.
Although the NIA did not elaborate further in its statement, officials familiar with the matter mentioned that the three accused are associated with a terrorist group connected to IS's Al Hind division, which operates in certain regions of southern India. Additionally, these officials stated that Hussain was responsible for carrying out the explosion.
“NIA investigations have revealed that Shareef extended logistic support to the other two identified accused (Hussain and Taha) in the case involving an IED explosion at the cafe. Several customers and hotel staff members were injured, some of them grievously, in the blast, which caused extensive damage to the property,” the NIA statement said.
“Raids were conducted today at the houses of all these three accused, as well as the residential premises and shops of other suspects. Various digital devices were seized during the searches, along with cash,” it added.
The NIA stated that efforts are underway to arrest the fugitive suspects and uncover a broader conspiracy behind the blast.
Nine individuals sustained injuries following the detonation of a low-intensity improvised explosive device (IED) at the well-known eatery situated on ITPL Road in Brookefield on March 1. Initial inquiries focused on an individual who had placed a bag near the cash counter. The NIA assumed control of the case on March 3, as per directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The federal agency, in its statement, said the raids were conducted across 12 locations in Karnataka, five in Tamil Nadu and one in Uttar Pradesh.
As per the officials mentioned earlier, Hussain was responsible for executing the explosion at the cafe. Furthermore, both Hussain and Taha have been identified by the NIA in several charge sheets related to terrorist incidents throughout the years. These individuals have also been arrested in the Mangaluru blast case that occurred in November 2022, according to the officials.
“All the three accused in the cafe blast case are part of a module that has links with Islamic State’s Al Hind module that is active in parts of south India,” one of the officials said, seeking anonymity.
“They were also involved in the scribbling of pro-ISIS and Taliban graffiti messages on buildings across Mangaluru in November 2022,” the official added.
In November 2022, an IED concealed within a pressure cooker accidentally detonated while being transported in an auto-rickshaw by one of the suspects in Mangaluru. The NIA, in its charge sheet, stated that the accused had intended to place the bomb at the Kadri Manjunatha temple as part of an "Islamic State-sponsored" plot.
A month earlier, a vehicle-borne (V-IED) driven by accused Jamesha Mubeen blew up in front of a temple in Coimbatore. In its charge sheet, NIA said Mubeen was inspired by the sermons of Zahar Hashim, a radical cleric, who masterminded the Easter serial suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka in 2019.
Image source: PTI
Comments