NIA arrests two accused, including mastermind, in Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe blast case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested two accused, including the mastermind, in Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, officials said.

Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Adbul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa were traced to their hideout near Kolkata and apprehended by an NIA team, they said.

The two prime accused were brought to the city by the NIA from Kolkata on transit remand. Both will be taken for a routine medical test, after which they will be produced before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here. A court in Kolkata had on Friday granted a 3-day transit remand to the two accused in the blast case, allowing the NIA to take them to the Karnataka capital.

Shazib was the one who placed the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the cafe and Taahaa was the mastermind behind the planning and execution of the blast, the officials said.

"In the morning hours of April 12, 2024, NIA was successful in tracing the absconding accused near Kolkata where they were hiding under false identities," an official said.

This pursuit was supported by coordinated action and cooperation among the NIA, central intelligence agencies and the state police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala, the official added.

The NIA had last month announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of these two accused.

An IED explosion rocked the cafe located on ITPL Road, Brookefield, Bengaluru, on March 1.

The NIA took over the probe on March 3.

Inputs from PTI