Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Planned After Failed IED Attack At BJP Office On Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha Day: NIA Charge Sheet

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against four accused in Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe blast case mentioning the use of cryptocurrencies.

The charge sheet mentions that the blast was planned after a failed IED attack at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Karnataka office in Bengaluru's Malleshwaram on 22 January.

Notably, on the same day of Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After its failure, the two key accused planned the Rameshwaram Cafe blast.

The accused in the 1 March blast are Mussavir Hussain Shazib, Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taaha, Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Muzammil Shareef.

Shazib and Taaha got money through cryptocurrencies from their handlers as per the charge sheet. Both were on the run after the blast and were arrested from West Bengal in April.

Shazib is a resident of Thirthahalli in Karnataka's Shivamogga district. Taha is the mastermind behind the planning, execution of blast and subsequent evasion from the clutches of law.

Earlier on 28 March, the NIA had arrested Muzammil Shareef, a co-conspirator in the case, after raiding 18 locations, including 12 in Karnataka, five in Tamil Nadu and one in Uttar Pradesh.

"Muzammil Shareef had extended logistic support to the other two identified accused in the case, involving an IED explosion at the Café located at ITPL road, Brookefield, Bengaluru, on 1st March," NIA had said.

The NIA took over the case on 4 March after the Bengaluru Police failed to make any arrests in the case. During the incident, at least 10 people were injured and the hotel property was severely damaged.