Bengaluru blast mastermind held from Bengal

THE National Investigation Agency said on Friday that it has arrested two accused, including the "mastermind" behind the Bengaluru's Rameswaram Cafe blast near Kolkata.

According to media reports, the NIA apprehended Mussavir Hussain Shazib, the key accused who allegedly placed the IED at the Bengaluru cafe, and Abdul Matheen Taha, the alleged mastermind behind the planning and execution of the blast. The two accused are residents of the Thirthahalli area in Karnataka's Shivamogga district.

The NIA successfully traced the absconding accused near Kolkata where they were hiding under false identities, report said. “The NIA was ably supported by Central Intelligence agencies and State Police agencies of West Bengal, Telengana, Karnataka, and Kerala police."

On March 1, a blast occurred at Rameswaram Cafe in Whitefield, injuring nine people. Following the blast, the Karnataka police identified a suspect in the CCTV footage who used an IED device with a timer to carry out the explosion.

After a few days, NIA also released the picture of the bomber wearing a cap, black pants, and black shoes. 

The NIA had announced a bounty of ₹10 lakh for information about the bomber as well.

It bolstered its probe into the case and widened its scope by delving into the social circles and past associations of the accused. The NIA stated that individuals from various spheres of the suspects' lives were being called in for questioning to gather crucial evidence and information pertinent to the case.

The NIA had also conducted searches at 18 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh to arrest the accused persons.

"This pursuit, accomplished by NIA was ably supported by energetic coordinated action and co-operation between NIA, Central Intelligence agencies and State Police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala police," the NIA said in a statement.