New Delhi:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has identified Mussavir Hussain Shazib as the key accused who carried out the blast at a cafe in Bengaluru on March 1 and Abdul Matheen Taahaa as the co-conspirator.

As part of the efforts to locate and arrest the accused who are on the run, the NIA has conducted searches at 18 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, an NIA spokesperson said.

In the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, the NIA has identified the accused person who carried out the IED blast as Mussavir Hussain Shazib and the co-conspirator as Abdul Matheen Taahaa, both residents of Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district of Karnataka.

Several people were injured in the blast at the cafe located at ITPL Road, Brookefield, Bengaluru.

Further, as part of the investigation, Muzammil Shareef, a resident of Khalsa, Chikkamagaluru, who extended logistics support to the main accused persons, was arrested on March 26 and was examined in police custody, the spokesperson said.

The agency had declared rewards of Rs 10 lakh on information leading to the arrest of each person  on the run on March 29.

The NIA has been summoning and examining all acquaintances, including college and school friends, of the accused who are on the run and those who have been arrested to gather evidence and information in the case, the spokesperson said.

It being a terror incident, any information on the identity of the witnesses may put them at risk in addition to hampering the investigation. Also, unverified news items hamper effective investigation in the case, the agency said.

The NIA has sought the cooperation of all for the arrest of the accused who are on the run, the spokesperson said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has released new photographs of the suspect linked to the Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe blast which left 10 people injured. The anti-terror agency, which took over the case on March 3, has sought the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect who is believed to have planted an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the popular Bengaluru eatery on March 1.

CCTV footage captured the prime suspect boarding a bus approximately an hour after the blast occurred at the cafe. The timestamp on the video reads 2:03 pm on March 1, with the blast taking place at 12:56 pm. The suspect, wearing a T-shirt, cap, and facemask, was seen leaving behind a bag containing the IED in the cafe.

In another footage from the same day at around 9 pm, the suspect is observed roaming inside a bus station. The NIA has urged citizens to come forward with any information that may lead to the identification and apprehension of the suspect, offering a reward of Rs 10 lakh for valuable information.

NIA seeks citizen cooperation in identifying the suspect linked to the #RameswaramCafeBlastCase. Call 08029510900, 8904241100 or email to info.blr.nia@gov.in with any information. Your identity will remain confidential. #BengaluruCafeBlastpic.twitter.com/ISTXBZrwDK

— NIA India (@NIA_India) March 9, 2024

The Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru police is collaborating with the NIA in the investigation. A cloth merchant from Kaul Bazaar in Ballari district and a cadre associated with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) have been arrested in connection with the case.

According to the probe team, the suspect changed his clothes after the incident and traveled by bus to different locations, including Tumakuru, Ballari, Bidar, and Bhatkal. CCTV footage reveals the suspect frequently altering his appearance to evade detection.

Cafe Reopens

The Rameshwaram Cafe resumed operations today with enhanced security measures. Metal detectors have been installed at the entrance, and customers are subjected to screening using handheld detectors to ensure the safety of patrons and staff.

Raghavendra Rao, the co-founder and CEO of The Rameshwaram Cafe, said, “We have strengthened our security team and are also trying to set up a separate panel involving ex-servicemen who could train our security guards at all our branches.”

Bengaluru:

Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe where an explosion took place at the start of this month is set to reopen on Saturday.

Raghavendra Rao, the owner of Rameshwaram Cafe informed that all precautionary measures have been taken to ensure security at the outlet.

“We are re-opening the cafe tomorrow. We start our day with the national anthem. It is our mantra. We have given all CCTV footage and information. We are cooperating with them. We are very thankful to the government for helping us reopen the cafe so soon. NIA will soon bring the culprit before us. We have taken all precautions before reopening,” Rao told ANI.

“The government and police have guided us on where to install more CCTVs. We will appoint one person just to keep a watch on the premises,” he added.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has re-registered the case and started an investigation.

The case was handed over to the NIA last week following the visit of an NIA team to the blast site.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday announced a bounty of Rs 10 lakh for information about the bomber in connection with the blast at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram cafe.

The agency also emphasized that the confidentiality of the informants’ identities will be maintained.

The agency also released a picture of the bomber, captured from the CCTV footage while keeping a bag in The Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular eatery in Bengaluru’s Brookfield area.

In the picture released by the NIA, the bomber is seen wearing a cap, black pants, and black shoes.

In the post, the NIA also stressed that “any information leading to his (bomber) arrest shall be rewarded.”

The blast took place at the cafe on March 1 in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area where several people were injured following an explosion that occurred during the busy lunch hour. As many as nine people were injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, the NIA released a video of the suspect linked to the Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, seeking citizens’ help in ascertaining his identity.

Bengaluru Police had registered a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Substances Act in connection with the explosion at the cafe.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced on Wednesday a bounty of Rs 10 lakh for information about the bomber in connection with the blast at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram cafe.

The agency also emphasized that the confidentiality of the informants’ identities will be maintained.

The agency also released a picture of the bomber, captured from the CCTV footage while keeping a bag in The Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular eatery in Bengaluru’s Brookfield area.

In the picture released by the NIA, the bomber is seen wearing a cap, black pants, and black shoes.

“NIA announces a cash reward of 10 lakh rupees for information about the bomber in Rameshwaram Cafe blast case of Bengaluru. Informants’ identity will be kept confidential,” the NIA said in a post on ‘X’.

In the post, the NIA also stressed that “any information leading to his (bomber) arrest shall be rewarded.”

NIA announces cash reward of 10 lakh rupees for information about bomber in Rameshwaram Cafe blast case of Bengaluru. Informants identity will be kept confidential. pic.twitter.com/F4kYophJFt

— NIA India (@NIA_India) March 6, 2024

The agency has also requested to pass on the information through mail at “info.blr.nia@gov.in,” as well as two contact numbers: 080-29510900 and 8904241100.

The NIA declared the reward three days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over the probe into the case to the anti-terror agency.

The case was handed over to the NIA on March 3, following the visit of an NIA team at the blast site. The blast took place at the cafe on March 1 in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area, where several people were injured following an explosion that occurred during the busy lunch hour.

Earlier, the Bengaluru Police had registered a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Substances Act in connection with the explosion at the cafe.

The blast took place at 1 pm on March 1 and the police also found a suspect in the CCTV footage, keeping a bag inside the cafe. The police probe so far has indicated that an IED device with a timer was used to carry out the explosion.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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| Photo Credit: Reuters

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New Delhi:

The owner of the Rameshwaram cafe in Bengaluru, where a low-intensity bomb blast left 10 people injured on Friday, spoke to NDTV and recounted the sequence of events that led to the explosion at her Whitefield outlet.

The owner, Divya Raghavendra Rao, said that the suspect was seen having rava idli before leaving his bag in the restaurant.

“My mobile phone was not with me when the blast took place and when I picked it up, there were too many missed calls. When I called back my team, they told me that there was a blast in the restaurant,” she said.

“The first thing that I thought was that maybe the blast took place due to something inside the kitchen. But then we found out that there were no injuries or blood inside the kitchen and that the blast took place in the customer area,” Ms Rao added.

She said that after looking at the CCTV footage, they saw that a guy wearing a mask and muffler came to the billing counter and ordered a rava idli.

“He took his order and then sat in a corner. He finished his meal and then left a bag in the corner before exiting the restaurant,” Ms Rao said, adding that the blast then took place after some time.

She said that luckily there were no cylinders kept where the blast took place.

‘Rameshwaram Cafe Is My Baby’

Ms Rao said that she recently gave birth to her baby and that there was no difference between the Rameshwaram cafe and her newborn.

“My business is also my baby and the damage to my outlet equally hurts me,” she said.

In a gritty message to her customers, she said that the Rameshwaram cafe would come back very shortly and strongly.

“The Whitefield outlet will operate the same way it was operating with more tight security and more safety systems in place. We will be back,” she said.

‘Will Help People Injured In Blast’

Thanking God that there were no fatal injuries in the Rameshwaram cafe blast, Mr Rao said that she would help the injured persons.

“There were no serious injuries. Some people who have received some injuries are likely to recover in 15-30 days,” she said.

“We will take care of them to make sure that they are back to their normal lives,” she added.

In an official statement, she said she is cooperating with the authorities and officials in their investigations.

“We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident at our Brookefield branch today… Our thoughts are with the injured and their families, and we are offering them all the support, assistance and care they need and pray for their speedy recovery,” Ms Rao said.