Bengaluru: NIA Arrests Key Conspirator Of Rameshwaram Cafe Blast |Details Inside

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key conspirator in the blast case of Bengaluru's popular eatery Rameshwaram Cafe that injured ten people on March 1, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

All about NIA's investigation

According to the officials investigating the matter, the key conspirator, Muzammil Shareef, was picked up on Wednesday and placed in custody after NIA teams cracked down at 18 locations, including 12 in Karnataka, five in Tamil Nadu and one in Uttar Pradesh.

"Raids were conducted today at the houses of all these three accused as well as the residential premises and shops of other suspects,” the statement said.

During the searches, several digital devices were seized along with cash, NIA said.

The officials further mentioned that efforts were on to nab the absconding accused and unearth the larger conspiracy behind the blast, the NIA said.

The NIA, which took over the case on March 3, had earlier identified the main accused, Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain, who had carried out the blast.

It had also identified another conspirator, Abdul Matheen Taha, who is also wanted by the agency in other cases, the statement said.

Today, the NIA investigations revealed that Muzammil Shareef had extended logistic support to the other two identified accused in the case, involving an IED explosion at the cafe located at ITPL Road, Brookefield, Bengaluru, on March 1.

About the blast

On March 1, a blast rocked the Rameshwaram Cafe in Whitefield area of Karnataka's Bengaluru, leaving ten people injured.

While initially the explosion was suspected to be a cylinder blast, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah later confirmed it to be a bomb blast.

Anti-terror agency NIA took over the case on March 3.

According to a footage from the day of the blast that surfaced later, the prime suspect was seen roaming inside a bus station. The probe team said that the suspect changed his clothes many times after the incident and traveled by bus to different locations.