The NIA Special Court on Saturday remanded 10-day police custody to the prime suspects in Bengaluru's Rameshwaram blast case. The duo -- mastermind and co-conspirator -- were arrested from West Bengal on April 12.
Identified as Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha, the NIA said the accused were caught from their hideout in Kolkata, where they were hiding using false identities. They stayed at a guest house in Kolkata from March 25th to March 28th.
Elaborating on the details of the arrests, the NIA said in a statement, “The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested the two absconding terrorists, including the mastermind, in the Bengaluru café blast case after tracking them to their hideout near Kolkata in West Bengal, bringing to an end a month-long manhunt for the duo.”
"On finding out that the terrorists were staying in a lodge near Kolkata under assumed identities, the NIA requested the West Bengal police secure the accused, and the latter responded promptly, leading to the successful culmination of the search operation and the apprehension of both terrorists," the statement added.
It is pertinent to note that last week, the probing agency identified Mussavir Hussain Shazib as the key accused who carried out the blast and Abdul Matheen Taahaa as the co-conspirator. The probing agency also identified Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Muzzamil Sheriff as the terrorists who played a pivotal role in the explosion. The NIA said the sheriff was involved in providing logistical support to the other accused in carrying out the IED explosions.
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