Rameshwaram Cafe blast: Two accused including mastermind arrested from West Bengal

BENGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two main accused in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast from West Bengal. The arrested persons are Abdul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazib. The accused, who had gone into hiding following the blast, were arrested from a hideout in Kolkata.

According to NIA officials, Abdul Matheen Taha is the mastermind behind the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. It was Mussavir Hussain Shazib who planted the explosive device at the cafe. Both are wanted by the police in a case related to terrorism in 2020.

According to the NIA, the accused had been living in the hideout in Kolkata using fake identity cards. The NIA said in a statement that the accused were arrested after a joint investigation by the central investigation agencies and the police from West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala.

On March 29, the NIA had released the pictures and details of the two accused. It also announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each for those who find the accused.

Shazib used the name 'Mohammad Junaid Syed' while he was in hiding. Taha stayed in various places using the fake identity of 'Vignesh'. Their accomplice Muzammil Shareef, a native of Chikkamagaluru, was arrested by the NIA last month.

The explosion took place at the famous Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru on March 1. Ten people were injured.