In a major breakthrough in the Bengaluru café blast, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two suspected militants today from Kanthi in East Midnapore.

NIA sources said that bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib and his accomplice Abdul Matheen Taha from a hideout on the outskirts of Kolkata city in West Bengal in connection with the Bengaluru cafe blast case. However, the arrest of militant members has sparked a dispute between the BJP and the state police. The BJP and state police blamed each other over the arrest of militants. Gathering inputs about their movements in Assam and West Bengal, the NIA arrested the accused, who carry Rs 10 lakh reward on them. Shazib aka Shazeb, 30, is a resident of Thirthahalli town in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district. Another conspirator, Taahaa aka Matheen aka Taha aka Vignesh. D aka Sumit was also wanted in other cases.

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“Shazib is the accused, who placed the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the cafe and Taha is the mastermind behind the planning, execution of blast, and subsequent evasion from the clutches of law,” NIA sources said. Confirming the arrests, West Bengal Police said that, “Two suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case have been arrested from East Midnapur in a joint operation by the West Bengal Police and the central intelligence agencies.”

“The proactive role of the West Bengal Police in the matter has been officially acknowledged by the Central Agencies. West Bengal has never been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain ever-vigilant in keeping its people safe from nefarious activities,” the statement read.

Shazib has been using the forged driving license in the name of Mohammed Juned Sayed or other similar forged ID documents to conceal his identity. The accused has been using Hindu identity documents, forged Aadhaar in the name of Vignesh, or other similar forged ID documents to conceal identity. His other aliases are Mohammand Junai Hussain and Mohammed Juned Sayed. The low intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) bomb was manufactured in Cuddalore city of Tamil Nadu. Mussavir had carried the bomb to Bengaluru and met Taha in KR Puram locality of Bengaluru. Taha was the mastermind, who planned the manufacturing of the bomb. Taha was behind planting it in the Rameshwaram Café located in the IT corridor region.

Mussavir and Taha joined each other before planting the bomb and later absconded together. The NIA took over the case on 3 March and identified the main accused, Mussavir, who had carried out the blast. Earlier, the NIA had announced the arrest of Muzamil Shareef, a key conspirator in the cafe blast case.

NIA investigations have revealed that Muzammil Shareef extended logistic support to the other two identified accused in the case, involving in an IED explosion in the cafe located at ITPL Road, Brookfield in Bengaluru on 1 March. Several staff members were injured, some of them grievously, in the blast, which caused extensive damage to the property. However, the arrest of militant members has sparked a dispute between the BJP and the state police.

“NIA detains two chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib and accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from Kolkata. Both likely belong to ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka. West Bengal, unfortunately, under Mamata Banerjee, has become a safe haven for terrorists,” BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya, wrote on X after the arrest.

On the contrary West Bengal Police contradicted his statement in social media.