According to sources, CCTV footage obtained by investigators revealed the accused checking into Dream Guest House located in the Ekbalpur area of Kolkata. They utilized false identities during their stay from March 25 to March 28 before proceeding to East Midnapore district.
VIDEO | Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Case: National Investigation Agency (NIA) brought the two key accused, Adbul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa and Mussavir Hussain Shazib to Bengaluru yesterday night.
The accused were arrested on Friday from near Kolkata, West Bengal.
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Sources familiar with the investigation have disclosed that the accused employed a strategy of frequently changing their addresses after departing from Karnataka to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. They utilized multiple small hotels across different states before eventually being apprehended. Additionally, they predominantly paid in cash to prevent leaving a paper trail.
Officials conducted searches at 18 locations spanning Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh in their efforts to locate the accused individuals. Their investigation ultimately led them to Kanthi, a small city situated approximately 180 km from Kolkata, where the suspects were traced and apprehended.
Officials have confirmed that the accused individuals had been residing in a lodge located in Bengal.
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Shazib and Taahaa for their alleged involvement in the blast that occurred at Rameswaram Cafe on ITPL Road, Brookefield, Bengaluru, on March 1, which resulted in 10 people sustaining injuries.
“Shazib is believed to have placed the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the cafe, while Taahaa is suspected to be the mastermind behind the attack,” officials stated.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) assumed control of the investigation on March 3 and had declared a reward of ₹10 lakh each for any information that would aid in the arrest of the two accused individuals.
A court in Kolkata has granted a 3-day transit remand to the accused on Friday, permitting the NIA to transport them to the Karnataka capital for further investigation. Both suspects will undergo a standard medical examination before being presented before the NIA court in Bengaluru.
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