The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested the prime accused behind the blast at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru from West Bengal. The accused, who were absconding, were apprehended from their hideout in Kolkata.
The NIA said Mussavir Hussain Shazib had placed the IED at the cafe and Abdul Matheen Taha was the mastermind behind the planning and execution of the blast.
Both of them are already wanted in a 2020 terrorism case. The NIA said Abdul Matheen Taha was involved with the Bengaluru Module of ISIS — Al Hind.
The NIA said the accused were hiding under false identities. In a statement, the NIA said the accused were nabbed in a co-ordinated action between Central intelligence agencies and police personnel from West Bengal, Telengana, Karnataka, and Kerala.
On March 29, the anti-terror agency released the photographs and details of the two accused and announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information on each of them.
The agency had said that Shazib was using the name ‘Mohammed Juned Sayed’ to conceal his identity. Taha was using Hindu identity documents and a forged Aadhar card with the name Vignesh, the agency said.