News Tamil Nadu

B’luru Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Terrorists Identifed As Mussavir Hussain Shazib & Abdul Matheen Taha Stayed In Chennai In Jan-Feb 2024

March 23, 2024
The Commune

A few days ago, the social media and news channels were abuzz with statements made by Karnataka BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje. She stated that individuals trained in Tamil Nadu (Krishnagiri) came to Bengaluru and were engaged in planting bombs talking about the Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast case. 

In a viral video circulating on social media, Shobha was recorded expressing in the heat of the moment, “People from Tamil Nadu come here, get trained there (Krishnagiri), and plant bombs here. They placed a bomb in the cafe.” 

Developments indicate that what Karandlaje had stated is actually true. According to a special branch CID police team in Tamil Nadu, two individuals suspected in the bombing incident at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru on 1 March 2024, were reportedly seen in Chennai back in January of the same year. The Tamil Nadu police have informed the Bengaluru police about their findings.

Musavir Hussain Shazib, one of the suspects, was identified through a cap he wore, which was captured on CCTV footage prior to its purchase. The suspect was seen wearing the white cap in CCTV footage on the day of the blast, which injured as many as 10 people.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru police are spearheading the investigation. The authorities discovered the abandoned cap roughly three kilometers from the cafe, where it is believed the suspect also changed his shirt. The branded cap, which had the number 10 on it, was sold by a retail store at a mall in Chennai, cops found.

The strands of hair discovered in the cap have been forwarded to a forensic laboratory for DNA testing, according to sources to DT Next. It is stated that the DNA will be compared with samples from Shazib’s family members.

The cap was identified as part of a limited edition series from a youth brand, with its serial number linking it back to the point of sale. Only 400 caps of this kind have been sold in India by the brand. Investigators meticulously reviewed CCTV footage from the store, identifying two men who purchased the cap along with other items in January.

Comparing the images obtained from the footage with those captured on a public bus in Bengaluru, where the suspect was observed without a mask, aided law enforcement in establishing a clearer profile of the suspect. According to the report, the individual is believed to be Musavir Hussain Shazib, a missing suspect associated with the Islamic State’s Shivamogga module. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has offered a reward of ₹5 lakh for Shazib’s arrest, as he has been under the scrutiny of investigative agencies since January 2020.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) confirmed the identities of the two individuals, as reported by The Republic. These individuals had been residing in the Triplicane area of Chennai for the past couple of months. They have been identified as Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha. Taha, who is bald, typically wears a cap to cover his head. It was he who purchased the cap during their stay in one of the lodges in Triplicane from a mall nearby. The associate, Abdul Matheen Taha, also hails from Thirthahalli. Both Shazib and Taha are believed to be part of the Shivamogga IS module, according to sources cited by DT Next.

The suspected bomber has been identified as Shazib. Taha is said to be the mastermind behind the Shivammoga trial blast case in September 2022 and the Mangaluru cooker blast case in November 2022. 

Both individuals are also wanted in connection with the murder of Tamil Nadu cop Wilson in January 2020 as reported by The Republic. The NIA filed a charge sheet against six individuals, including two from Bengaluru, for the murder of Tamil Nadu Special Sub-Inspector Wilson.

 It was determined that this was the Al-Hind module of ISIS, which was predominantly active in Karnataka. The accused, Abdul Shameem and Thowfeek, shot and stabbed Wilson to death on 8 January 2020. The NIA invoked provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), stating the killers aimed to terrorize people and police in the name of jihad. The investigation revealed the involvement of Khaja Mohideen and Shababuddin were key conspirators in the case and also recruited and radicalized the assailants.

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