NIA Apprehends Andhra Pradesh Techie For Alleged Connection To Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Suspect

On 21 May 2024, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a software engineer from Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district due to alleged connections with a suspect in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case.

Early in the morning, NIA officers raided the home of retired headmaster Abdul Gaffoor in the Nagulabavi area of Atmakur Street, Rayadurgam town. Acting on specific information about a terror suspect linked to the 1st March blast at Rameshwaram Cafe, the officers searched the premises.

“The NIA conducted the raid after a three-day surveillance in the area. They took Gaffoor’s son, Sohail, into custody for questioning,” said an Anantapur police official, noting that local police provided logistical support to the NIA during the operation.

Sohail, in his early thirties, works for a software company in Bengaluru alongside his elder brother. NIA investigators found that Sohail had allegedly received a significant amount of money in his bank account, leading them to suspect his involvement in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, which injured 10 people.

Sources indicate that Suhail had been living in a PG accommodation shared with one of the suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case. Following the blast, Suhail began working from home and was staying in Rayadurgam. It is reported that Suhail and the blast suspect communicated via WhatsApp after the incident. After his arrest, Sohail was taken to Rayadurgam police station under tight security. Following initial questioning, he was transferred to Bengaluru. The NIA authorities formally notified Gaffoor and his family about Sohail’s arrest in writing, the police official added.

Previously, on 12 April 2024, the NIA had arrested two suspects, Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from West Bengal.