In a major breakthrough in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a key conspirator following massive raids across multiple locations in three states. The agency released a statement saying that Muzammil Shareef was arrested after he was identing as a co-conspirator in the case.
Muzammil Shareef was picked up and placed in custody as a co-conspirator after NIA teams cracked down at 18 locations, including 12 in Karnataka, 5 in Tamil Nadu and one in Uttar Pradesh, the agency said in the statement.
NIA Arrests 1 in Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Conspiracy After Massive Multi-State Raids pic.twitter.com/QI4ZpvBpQV
— NIA India (@NIA_India) March 28, 2024
NIA, which took over the case on 3rd March, had earlier identified the main accused, Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain, who had carried out the blast. It had also identified another conspirator, Abdul Matheen Taha, who is also wanted by the agency in other cases. Both Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain and Abdul Matheen Taha are on the run.
NIA investigations have revealed that arrested Muzammil Shareef had extended logistic support to the other two identified accused in the case, involving an IED explosion at the Cafe located at ITPL road, Brookefield, Bengaluru, on 1st March. Several customers and hotel staff members were injured in the blast, some of them grievously. The blast also caused extensive damage to the property.
Raids were conducted today at the houses of all these three accused, as well as the residential premises and shops of other suspects. Various digital devices were seized during the searches, along with cash, NIA said.
Efforts are on to nab the absconding accused and unearth the larger conspiracy behind the blast. Main accused Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain is a suspected terrorist from the Islamic State’s Shivamogga module. Investigative agencies have been tracking him since January 2020, and the National Investigation Agency has offered a reward of Rs 5 lakh for his capture.
