NIA chargesheet reveals Bengaluru Cafe blast suspects planned attack on Karnataka BJP HQ

Bengaluru cafe blast accused planned to target Karnataka BJP HQ on Jan 22, reveals NIA

September 9, 2024

‘Funds via crypto, blast on Pran Pratishtha day’: What NIA chargesheet said about Rameshwaram Cafe blast accused

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against four individuals in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast that occurred in Bengaluru on March 1. The chargesheet reveals that the accused had initially planned to execute an IED attack on the Karnataka BJP headquarters on January 22, coinciding with the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, but the plan was thwarted.

The accused — Mussavir Hussain Shazib, Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taaha, Maaz Muneer Ahmed, and Muzammil Shareef — face multiple charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substances Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (PDPP).

According to the charge sheet, Taaha and Shazib received funds from their handler through cryptocurrencies, which Taaha converted using various Telegram-based platforms with the help of Faisal. These funds were utilized for planning acts of violence, including a failed IED attack on the Karnataka BJP office in Malleshwaram. Following this, the suspects targeted the Rameshwaram Cafe, resulting in the March 1 explosion.

The NIA’s investigation, which commenced on March 3, has led to the arrest of all four accused, who are now in judicial custody. The explosion at Rameshwaram Cafe injured nine people and caused significant damage to the hotel’s infrastructure.

The NIA’s probe revealed that Shazib was responsible for planting the bomb, with both Shazib and Taaha having been on the run since 2020 after the dismantling of the Al-Hind module. Their arrest followed extensive searches in West Bengal, where they were found 42 days after the Bengaluru cafe blast. Both men, originally from Shivamogga district in Karnataka, are known IS radicals who had previously conspired to travel to IS-controlled territories in Syria.

The investigation also highlighted the radicalization efforts of Shazib and Taaha, who sought to influence other young Muslims, including Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Muzammil Shareef. The accused used fraudulent Indian SIM cards, bank accounts, and documents from the Dark Web to facilitate their activities.

The NIA continues to investigate the broader network and motivations behind these attacks as it works to unravel the full extent of the conspiracy.

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