The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday, March 27, arrested a key suspect in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru. The arrest came after massive raids across multiple locations in three states—Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The accused was identified by the NIA as Muzammil Shareef, who provided logistic support to the two other accused.
The bomb blast took place on March 1 in the cafe located on the International Technology Park Limited (ITPL) road in the Brookefield area. A low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used to carry out the blast and nine persons were injured in the blast.
In a statement, the NIA said, “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, five in Tamil Nadu and one in Uttar Pradesh.”
The NIA took over the case on March 3, and had identified the main accused as Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain. The agency also identified another suspect, Abdul Matheen Taha, who has been involved in other cases. Both these suspects are absconding.
According to the NIA, Muzammil Shareef extended logistic support to the absconding suspects. “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,” the statement said. The NIA had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information regarding those responsible for the blast. The agency had promised to keep the informant's identity confidential.
In the CCTV footage, the suspect's face was obscured by a mask and glasses, and he was seen purchasing a food token at the cashier counter. The police recovered an IED device and a timer used to detonate the explosive.