NIA gets 3-day transit remand of Rameshwaram café blast masterminds

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which arrested two key accused in the Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe blast case from a lodge at New Digha in West Bengal's East Medinipur district, on Friday got three days' transit remand after the terror duo were produced before a special court in the city, official sources said on Saturday.

The anti-terror agency, which took the case of the March 1 blast in which some ten people sustained bomb wounds, identified the duo as Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Adbul Matheen Taha. Mussavir Hussain Shazib, a resident of Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district, was the the mastermind, who carried out the blast. " Mussavir Hussain Shazib is the accused who placed the IED at the café and Abdul Matheen Taha is the mastermind behind the planning, execution of blast and subsequent evasion from the clutches of law, " the NIA statement said.

The NIA said their month-long manhunt across the country ended on Friday. Another source said the terrorists were hiding with many assumed names and had many fake Aadhaar cards and stayed in a hotel in Kolkata's central part of the city before going by bus to tourist resort in New Digha.

" In the early morning hours of April 12.,2024, NIA were successful in tracing the absconding accused near Kolkata where they were hiding under false identities. This pursuit, successfully accomplished by NIA was ably supported by energetic co-ordinated action and co-operation between NIA, Central Intelligence agencies and State Police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala police, " the NIA said.

The NIA said, " It has requested the West Bengal Police for securing the accused and the latter responded promptly, leading to a successful culmination of the search operation and apprehended both terrorists."(UNI)<>