Rameshwaram Cafe blast: Chennai link found with suspect who used 'fake credentials'

As per the NIA, Shazib hailed from Masjid Road in Shivamogga’s Theerthahalli and Taahaa from Fish Market Road, Soppu Gude in Theerthahalli Rural.

Bengaluru/Chennai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case has made further progress, with investigators suspecting the bomber to be Mussavir Hussain Shazib, a handler from the Islamic State's Shivamogga module, after tracing the cap worn by him to a shop in Chennai.

Shazib was allegedly assisted by Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, also from the same module. Both have been at large since 2020.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru police, which was probing the case, first suspected the involvement of the duo even before the investigation was taken over by the NIA.

“Since the very beginning, our investigators suspected the involvement of Shazib and Taahaa” a highly placed source in the Karnataka police told DH. “The conclusion was based on investigators' leads and from detailed technical analyses. After the case was handed over, the NIA further developed it and, in all probability, suspects their involvement.”

As per the NIA, Shazib hails from Masjid Road in Theerthahalli, Shivamogga district, and Taahaa from Fish Market Road, Soppu Gude, Theerthahalli Rural. Both "wanted" suspects have been termed "absconders" by the NIA.

As many as 10 people were injured following an IED blast at the popular Rameshwaram Cafe in the Brookefield area on March 1. After initial investigations by the CCB, the NIA took over the probe.

Chennai links

Shazib and Taahaa had stayed at a lodge in Triplicane, a haven for bachelors in Chennai, from January-end to February 29. “Shazib booked the room using a fake Aadhaar identity card and driving licence,” a second police source told DH.

The source said the names of the suspects were identified after they traced the cap worn by Shazib to a shop in a mall in Chennai. The cap, which was abandoned, was bought by Taahaa, around January-end. The Tamil Nadu police stepped into the probe after the NIA requested their assistance.

The source added that Shazib checked out of his room on February 29 and travelled to Bengaluru by road.

As soon as Shazib came to Bengaluru, investigators suspect that he reached the eatery, planted the IED and left. CCTV footage showed the suspect wearing a beige cap, a black backpack, a full-sleeved shirt, dark trousers, shoes, a facemask and spectacles entering the cafe at 11.34 am and exiting at 11.43 am.

He was then seen moving around in a BMTC bus. The suspect, who later changed his attire, was last spotted on the CCTV that same evening at the Ballari bus stand.

The Shivamogga IS module has been active in Tamil Nadu. It was involved in the murder of Y Wilson, a special sub-inspector of police, in 2020 in Kanyakumari district on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. The source added that Abdul Shameem and Thoufiq, who are accused in the 2020 case, had fled to Karnataka after the murder on January 8.

“They were picked up from Udupi police station on January 14, 2020. This module has been active for quite some time now,” the source added.

During investigations, they revealed the murder was committed to “create terror” in the minds of the people, following which the case was taken over by the NIA, which categorised it as a terrorist incident.