In the early hours of Friday, April 12, the NIA detained two individuals suspected in the Rameshwaram cafe bombing—Abdul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazeb—near Kolkata. As per a NIA statement, Shazib is believed to have planted the explosive device at the cafe, while Taha orchestrated the blast and managed to evade authorities. The release revealed that both suspects had been hiding near Kolkata using false identities: Taha adopted a Hindu persona and obtained a forged Adhaar card under the name Vignesh, while Shazib used a driving license under the name Mohammed Juned Sayed.
Previously, the NIA had announced a reward of ₹10 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of these two individuals. The agency also expressed gratitude for the support provided by central investigation agencies and the police forces of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala.
Further details about the arrest are yet to be disclosed.
In earlier developments, on March 27, the NIA made its first arrest, Muzammil Shareef, as a suspected co-conspirator following raids on 18 locations across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, on April 5, Saivara Prasad, the general secretary of BJYM in Thirthahalli, was summoned by the NIA after a digital payment transaction between him and the suspects was discovered.
The explosion at Rameshwaram Cafe in Brookfield, East Bengaluru, on March 1 caused injuries to at least 10 individuals. The blast, carried out with an improvised explosive device, prompted the Karnataka Police to file a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Substances Act.
Established in 2008 after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the NIA specializes in probing terror-related incidents. State Home Minister G Parameshwara mentioned that the main suspect was believed to have traveled towards Tumakuru by bus after the explosion, with officials tracking his movements up to Ballari. Regarding a pressure cooker blast in Mangaluru on November 19, 2022, Parameshwara clarified that while there were similarities in the explosives used, it does not necessarily indicate the involvement of the same group in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast.
