NIA Arrests Ex-Lashkar Terror Convict In Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Probe

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested another suspect in the Rameshwaram Café blast case, identifying him as an ex-convict in a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror conspiracy case, following a widespread crackdown across four states. Shoaib Ahmed Mirza, 35, a resident of Hubbali, Karnataka, became the fifth accused arrested in the case.

Mirza, previously convicted in a LeT conspiracy case in Bengaluru, allegedly became involved in a new conspiracy after his release from prison. In 2018, he reportedly introduced Abdul Matheen Taha to an online handler suspected to be abroad, facilitating encrypted communication between them. Taha was arrested on April 12 in Kolkata, along with co-accused Mussavir Hussain Shazib, in connection with the Rameshwaram Café blast on ITPL Road, Brookfield, Bengaluru, which injured several individuals.

The NIA, which took over the case on March 3, conducted searches at 29 locations across India as part of their investigation into the blast, which caused extensive property damage. They continue to probe the handler's role and the broader conspiracy behind the attack.

On Tuesday, NIA teams raided 11 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh to uncover the entire conspiracy and identify other conspirators involved in "handling the accused from abroad." The agency's actions aimed to reveal the full extent of the conspiracy behind the blast.

The arrests on April 12 in Kolkata included two key suspects, Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa (the mastermind) and Mussavir Hussain Shazib (the attacker), who were using fake identities. Both are from Thirthahalli, Shivamogga district, Karnataka, and are believed to be members of a Shivamogga-based Islamic State group.