Bengaluru cafe blast mastermind, bomber arrested from Bengal
What's the story
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained two suspects linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe explosion in Bengaluru on March 1, which injured at least 10 individuals. The suspects, Abdul Mateen Taha and Musavir Hussain Shajib, were tracked down by the NIA to their hideout near Kolkata. According to the NIA, Shajib planted the improvised explosive device (IED) at the cafe while Taha orchestrated the entire operation.
Twitter Post
Visuals of the suspects
BREAKING: 2 chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case detained by NIA in West Bengal — bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib & accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa.
Both suspected to belong to ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka. Big break by @arvindojha @sagayrajp pic.twitter.com/sK70H1FumE — Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) April 12, 2024
Financial probe
Cryptocurrency transactions under investigation
Before their arrests, the NIA had interrogated three men from Maharashtra regarding their alleged cryptocurrency transactions with two men wanted in the blast. A high-ranking officer disclosed that the suspects had been dealing in cryptocurrency to cover up their financial dealings. The funds generated through these transactions reportedly allowed them to maintain a low profile without needing any direct contact with their families or supporters.
Nationwide operation
Investigation spans across multiple Indian states
The investigation into these financial transactions had led NIA officers across various parts of India, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MEA) handed over the investigation into the Rameshwaram Cafe blast to the NIA days after the blast. The inquiry entailed evaluating footage from over 1,000 CCTV cameras to identify the primary suspects.
Shivamogga ISIS module
Blast may be linked to Shivamogga ISIS module
Previously, officials suspected the blast was linked to the Shivamogga ISIS module, which has been implicated in three terrorist attacks in South India in the last five years. In recent years, 11 people from this module in Karnataka's Thirthahalli have been radicalized. On March 28, the NIA arrested Muzammil Shareef, a co-conspirator in the case, after conducting 18 raids, including 12 in Karnataka, five in Tamil Nadu, and one in Uttar Pradesh.
Blast details
What happened on March 1
Around 1:00pm on March 1, as the cafe was packed with nearly 35 people, a man wearing a cap placed the IED in a corner of the cafe and exited. As many as 10 people sustained injuries in the blast. The IED was hidden in a tiffin box bag and wrapped in fibrous material. It contained a combination of easily obtainable explosives—sulfur and potassium nitrate—and was detonated by bulb filaments activated by a digital timer connected to a printed circuit.