India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has formally charged four individuals in connection with a bombing at The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru, India, which occurred in March 2023. The accused are identified as Mussavir Hussain Shazib, Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taaha, Maaz Muneer Ahmed, and Muzammil Shareef. According to the NIA, Shazib is believed to have planted the explosive device, while Taaha is considered the mastermind behind the operation. Both allegedly received funds through cryptocurrencies from their associates to facilitate the attack.
The bombing was planned subsequent to a failed improvised explosive device (IED) attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) office in Bengaluru on January 22, 2024. This date coincided with a significant religious ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, which had already heightened regional tensions.
The blast at The Rameshwaram Cafe injured at least nine people and initially prompted a manhunt by Bengaluru Police using AI and CCTV footage. The case was subsequently transferred to the NIA, which arrested Muzammil Shareef, who allegedly provided logistical support to Shazib and Taaha, in late March. Shazib and Taaha, who had been fugitives since 2020 in relation to multiple terror cases, were apprehended near Kolkata in April 2024 following a coordinated effort by the NIA, central intelligence agencies, and state police forces.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is India’s specialised counter-terrorism law enforcement agency, empowered to investigate terror-related crimes across states without requiring special permissions from the states, as per a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs.