Two primary suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case in Bengaluru, Adbul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa and Mussavir Hussain Shazib, were apprehended in West Bengal yesterday and are set to face trial in a Bengaluru court today.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended Taahaa and Shazib, bringing them to Bengaluru late last evening after their arrest. The suspects, who had been on the run since the explosion occurred at the Bengaluru cafe, were traced to Kanthi, a small city 180 km from Kolkata, following extensive searches across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
Authorities disclosed that the accused had been residing in a lodge in Bengal, further underlining the complexity of the investigation. A court in Kolkata granted a 3-day transit remand to the suspects, enabling the NIA to transfer them to Bengaluru for further legal proceedings.
Officials have identified Taahaa as the alleged mastermind behind the blast, with Shazib purportedly responsible for placing the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the cafe. The explosion on March 1 caused injuries to 10 individuals and triggered a widespread investigation.
The NIA, which assumed control of the case on March 3, had offered a reward of ₹10 lakh for information leading to the arrest of each suspect. The agency has revealed that the detained individuals, along with their co-accused Maaz Muneer Ahmed, have previous involvement in terror-related activities.
In response to the incident, the Rameshwaram Cafe, which sustained significant damage from the blast, reopened eight days later with bolstered security measures, including the installation of metal detectors. Raghavendra Rao, co-founder of the cafe, emphasized efforts to fortify security by augmenting the security team and considering the recruitment of ex-servicemen to train personnel across all branches.
The upcoming trial is anticipated to shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the explosion and provide closure to the affected community in Bengaluru.
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