NIA chargesheets four accused
NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a chargesheet against four individuals in connection with the high-profile Rameshwaram Café blast case in Bengaluru.
The accused, identified as Mussavir Hussain Shazib, Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taaha, Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Muzammil Shareef, have been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDLP) Act. All four are currently in judicial custody in the case.
The charges relate to the IED explosion that occurred on March 1, 2024, at Rameshwaram Café in Brookfield, ITPL, Bengaluru, which resulted in injuries to nine people and extensive damage to the cafe. The NIA, which began its investigation on March 3, conducted extensive technical and field investigations in coordination with various state police forces and other agencies.
According to the NIA’s findings, Shazib planted the bomb. He and Taaha had been on the run since 2020 following the bust of the Al-Hind module. Their arrest came 42 days after the explosion at Rameshwaram Café, following extensive searches that led to their capture at a hideout in West Bengal.
Both Shazib and Taaha, from Shivamogga District in Karnataka, are identified as ISIS radicals who had previously conspired to join ISIS territories in Syria. They were also involved in radicalising other youths to the ISIS ideology, including Maaz Muneer Ahmed and
Muzammil Shareef.
Investigations revealed that Taaha and Shazib used fraudulently obtained Indian SIM cards, Indian bank accounts, and various identity documents from India and Bangladesh, which they acquired from the Dark Web.
Taaha was introduced by an ex-convict, Shoaib Ahmed Mirza, to Mohammed Shaheed Faisal, an absconder in the LeT Bengaluru conspiracy case. Faisal then connected Taaha to Mehaboob Pasha, an accused in the Al-Hind ISIS module case, and Khaja Mohideen, the Amir of ISIS South India, as well as to Maaz Muneer Ahmed.
