Rameshwaram Cafe blast: Who are Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha, accused held by NIA?

The two absconding suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case were apprehended by the NIA in the early hours of Friday.

Updated on: Apr 12, 2024, 13:04:44 IST

By Yamini C S

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended two suspects - Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha - in connection with Bengaluru's Rameswaram Cafe blast case on Friday. The two were nabbed near West Bengal's Kolkata.

Two suspects linked to Rameshwaram Cafe blast have been apprehended by the NIA.

ALSO READ | Bengaluru's Rameswaram Cafe blast: NIA apprehends two – ‘mastermind’ and man who planted IED

Who are Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha?

Mussavir Hussain Shazib is known to be the “mastermind” behind the low-intensity blast at the popular eatery in Bengaluru on March 1. He is the main accused who placed the IED at the cafe. Meanwhile, Abdul Matheen Taha is a co-conspirator in the case. Both Taha and Shazib are residents of Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district, the NIA had said.

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The two emerged as missing suspects from the Islamic State's (IS) Shivamogga module, which was once associated with creating graffiti in support of terror and terror outfits. They became known as key figures within the infamous “Thirthahalli module”, one of the most wanted terror groups in Karnataka, with aspirations of establishing an Islamic State Caliphate within the southern state's forests, a charge sheet filed by the agency stated.

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Both Shazib and Taha were previously part of another extremist group, the Al Hind terror module, also inspired by the IS, and have been on the radar of investigative agencies since January 2020.

ALSO READ | NIA links ‘Thirthahalli module’ to IED blasts in parts of Karnataka

Their names came up during the investigation of various cases, including the 2020 murder case of a special sub inspector, A Wilson, who was shot dead while on duty at a check post close to the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border.

The duo were on the run and have evaded arrests since 2019. They were both finally captured near Kolkata, West Bengaluru, the NIA confirmed on Friday.

(With inputs from Arun Dev in Bengaluru)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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