The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has apprehended two fugitives linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case near Kolkata. The blast occurred on March 1 at a cafe in Bengaluru, injuring nine individuals.
According to an NIA spokesperson, "The absconders in Rameswaram Cafe blast case: Adbul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazib were traced out to their hideout near Kolkata and were apprehended by NIA team." The West Bengal Police, in a joint operation with the NIA, arrested the accused from Purba Medinipur district. They were found staying in a hotel in Digha under false identities.
The suspects, residents of Thirthahalli in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district, were identified as Taha, an IT engineer, and Shazib, suspected to be a key figure in the Shivamogga Islamic State (IS) module.
The NIA, coordinating with central and state intelligence agencies, tracked the suspects who had been hiding in West Bengal for several days. After analyzing CCTV footage and releasing their photographs, the NIA announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for each of them.
Investigations revealed that Taha financed the operation using cryptocurrency to avoid detection. He utilized various conduits and stolen identities to transfer cryptocurrency to arrange logistics for the blast, implicating an individual named Muzammil Shareef, who was arrested earlier for providing materials used in the attack.
The NIA has named two more individuals in the case, one of whom was in prison at the time of the incident, while the other was arrested for providing logistics support.
The central agency, assisted by the Bengaluru city police, continues its efforts to unravel the complexities surrounding the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case.
