Counter-terrorism agencies detain 2 suspects in Bangalore cafe blast case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday detained two key accused in last month’s Rameshwaram cafe blast case in Bengaluru. The agency said Moussavir Hussain Shahzeb and Abdul Mateen Taha were arrested from Kolkata this morning.

The counterterrorism agency said Shahzeb hid the explosive device in a bag at the cafe, while Taha was responsible for planning the attack and subsequent disappearance. Another key conspirator, Muzammill Shareef, who provided logistical support to the main defendant, was arrested on March 26.

On Friday morning, a team of the National Intelligence Agency traced the two men to Kolkata, where they were living under false names. In a joint operation, the Central Intelligence Agency and the West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala police detained the accused.

The agency last week identified Shazeb and Taha, residents of Thirthahalli in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district, as the main accused and conducted searches at 18 locations across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh to arrest them them.

On March 1, an explosion occurred at a famous cafe in Bengaluru, injuring 10 customers and hotel staff.

After the blast, the agency released several photos and videos of the key accused seen on CCTV cameras in Bengaluru. In the video, the defendant can be seen boarding a bus with a mask on his face nearly an hour after the cafe explosion.

The agency has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to the arrest of each of the key accused. It also asked about their acquaintances, including college and school friends.

Rameshwaram Cafe, which suffered severe damage after an IED blast, has reopened eight days later with heightened security measures, including metal detectors.

Raghavendra Rao, co-founder of the cafe, said: “We have strengthened our security team and are trying to create a separate group of veterans who can train security personnel at all our outlets.”