The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Abdul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazeb, the two key accused behind the Rameshwaram Café blast in Bengaluru on March 1, which injured 10 people. The duo, who had set up a base in Chennai, were tracked down in a joint operation by NIA, central intelligence agencies, and police teams from West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana, and Kerala. Taha is the mastermind, and Shazeb placed the IED at the café.
The pair had been on the run after vacating their Chennai accommodation in early March. During their hideout in East Medinipur, West Bengal, the police seized laptops, mobiles, and fake IDs. The NIA had been monitoring them since 2020, with reports indicating Taha used cryptocurrency to fund the operation.
While the arrest was praised by the West Bengal Police, BJP IT chief Amit Malviya criticized the state's safety regarding terrorism, sparking a political dispute. The West Bengal Police denied these claims, asserting their proactive role in the operation.