In a significant development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday (September 9) filed a chargesheet against four individuals in connection with the high-profile Bengaluru Rameshwaram Café blast. The accused—Mussavir Hussain Shazib, Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taaha, Maaz Muneer Ahmed, and Muzammil Shareef—face charges under various laws, including the IPC, UA(P) Act, Explosive Substances Act, and PDLP Act. All four are currently in judicial custody.
About the incident
The blast occurred on March 1, 2024, at the Rameshwaram Café located in Brookfield, ITPL Bengaluru. The explosion injured nine people and caused substantial damage to the café.
NIA takes over investigation
The NIA, which began its investigation on March 3, 2024, has conducted extensive technical and field inquiries in coordination with state police forces and other agencies. The probe uncovered that Mussavir Hussain Shazib was the operative who planted the bomb. Shazib, along with Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taaha, had been on the run since 2020 after the dismantling of the Al-Hind module. They were eventually apprehended in West Bengal, 42 days after the café blast.
Crucial findings
In connection to the Bengaluru cafe blast incident, the NIA had shared crucial findings, including the past case details against accused and how had they hatched the Bengaluru blast conspiracy. The NIA mentioned that both Shazib and Taaha, hailing from Karnataka's Shivamogga District, were funded by their handler through cryptocurrencies, which the latter converted to cash with the help of various Telegram-based peer-to-peer platforms.
"The funds were used by the accused to perpetrate various acts of violence in Bengaluru," it mentioned.
Moreover, the NIA in its report filed also mentioned that the accused were involved in a "failed IED attack" at the Bengaluru BJP office on the day of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"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 planned the Rameshwaram Cafe blast," it added.
Significantly, the NIA also revealed Taaha's connection to the radical networks. The NIA informed of Taaha's connections with key figures in the LeT Bengaluru conspiracy case and the Al-Hind ISIS module.
BJP reacts to NIA's finding in Rameshwaram Cafe blast case
Meanwhile, the BJP Karnataka president Vijayendra Yediyurappa on Monday slammed Congress after the NIA claimed that the accused in the Rameshwaram cafe blast case had tried to attack the state party office in Malleshwaram on the day of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the BJP state president said, "Months ago, Congress irresponsibly dismissed the Rameshwaram Café blast as a simple cylinder explosion before any investigation had even started. Now, with the NIA’s chargesheet revealing the real plot—an ISIS-linked attack aimed at the BJP headquarters in Malleshwaram during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya—Congress’ reckless downplaying is fully exposed."
"By repeatedly downplaying terror incidents, Congress has shown a dangerous willingness to compromise national security to protect their political agenda. This shows why Congress is not just incompetent but a real threat to the safety of our state and nation. Terrorism must never be trivialized for political gain," he added.
READ MORE | Blast rocks Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru, leaves 9 injured, bomb disposal squad at spot | Video
