Rameshwaram Cafe blast: NIA files chargesheet against four accused

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheeted four accused on Monday in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Rameshwaram cafe blast in Karnataka's Bengaluru.

According to an NIA release, the accused, identified as Mussavir Hussain Shazib, Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taaha, Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Muzammil Shareef, have been chargesheeted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P) A), Explosive Substances Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (PDPP). All four were arrested earlier and are currently in judicial custody in the case, the release mentioned.

The IED explosion, which took place on March 1 this year at the Rameshwaram Cafe, Brookfield, ITPL Bengaluru, had left nine persons injured and extensively damaged the hotel property. The release stated that the NIA, which started investigation in the case on March 3, conducted several technical and field investigations in coordination with various state police forces and other agencies. The investigations revealed that an individual named Shazib had planted the bomb. He, along with Taaha, had previously been absconding since 2020 after the Al-Hind module was busted.

Extensive searches by the NIA had led to their arrest from their hideout in West Bengal 42 days after the explosion. The NIA release mentioned that the two men, hailing from Shivamogga District of Karnataka, were ISIS radicals and had earlier conspired to do Hijrah to ISIS territories in Syria. They were actively involved in radicalising other gullible Muslim youth to the ISIS ideology, and Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Muzammil Shareef were among such youth.

According to the release, Taaha and Shazib had used fraudulently obtained Indian SIM cards and Indian bank accounts, and also used various Indian and Bangladeshi identity documents downloaded from the Dark Web.

Investigations further revealed that Taaha had been introduced by an ex-convict, Shoaib Ahmed Mirza, to Mohammed Shaheed Faisal, an absconder in the LeT Bengaluru conspiracy case. Taaha then introduced Faisal, his handler, to Mehaboob Pasha, an accused in the Al-Hind ISIS module case, and to Khaja Mohideen, Amir of ISIS South India, and later also to Maaz Muneer Ahmed. Taaha and Shazib were funded by their handler through crypto currencies, which Taaha converted to Fiat with the help of various Telegram based P2P platforms.

The funds were used by the accused to perpetrate various acts of violence in Bengaluru, investigations further revealed. These included a failed IED attack at the State BJP Office, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, on the day of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, after which the two key accused had planned the Rameshwaram cafe blast, the release said. Further investigation in the case is underway, it added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)