New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained two key suspects in the Rameswaram Cafe blast case after tracing their movements across multiple states. Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa and Mussavir Hussain Shazib were arrested in West Bengal and brought to Bengaluru late last evening.
CCTV footage obtained by investigators shows the accused checking into Dream Guest House in the Ekbalpur area of Kolkata. They arrived at the hotel on March 25 and checked out on March 28, staying under fake identities. This was before they headed to East Midnapore district, sources said.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, the accused frequently changed their addresses as they left Karnataka to evade arrest by law enforcement agencies. They checked into multiple small hotels across various states before finally being apprehended. In most places, they paid by cash to avoid leaving a paper trail.
Officials conducted searches at 18 locations across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh before tracing the accused to Kanthi, a small city located 180 km from Kolkata.
"The accused had been staying in a lodge in Bengal," officials confirmed.
The NIA arrested Shazib and Taahaa for their alleged roles in the blast that occurred at Rameswaram Cafe on ITPL Road, Brookefield, Bengaluru, on March 1. The explosion left 10 people injured.
"Shazib is believed to have placed the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the cafe, while Taahaa is suspected to be the mastermind behind the attack," officials stated.
The NIA took over the investigation on March 3 and had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of the two accused.
A court in Kolkata granted a 3-day transit remand to the accused on Friday, allowing the NIA to bring them to the Karnataka capital for further investigation. Both suspects will undergo a routine medical test before being produced before the NIA court in Bengaluru.