Bengaluru:

The National Investigation Agency said on Friday morning that two people who planned and carried out the blast that rocked the Rameswaram Cafe in Bengaluru have been arrested from Kanthi in East Midnapore district of Bengal. The counter-terrorism agency said in a statement that Mavisir Hussain Shazeeb and Abdul Matin Taha were caught following a joint operation by Central Intelligence Agencies and police from Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana and Kerala and were on their way to Kolkata.

Available evidence indicates that Shazeb had kept the explosive device in a bag, which was kept at a popular eatery. Taha was responsible for planning the attack and their disappearance.

These are the second and third arrests in the case. Last month Muzamil Sharif, who provided logistical support to Shazeeb and Taha, was detained.

Read on Bengaluru cafe blast case key conspirator arrested

Shazeeb and Taha, hailing from Karnataka’s Shivamogga district, were traced to Kanthi after authorities searched 18 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and even Uttar Pradesh.

On March 1, 10 people, customers and staff, were injured in an explosion at a Rameshwaram cafe in Bengaluru.

Fortunately there were no deaths. The bag containing the explosives was placed in a relatively sparsely populated area and against a large pillar that absorbed the force of the blast.

After the blast, the NIA released photographs and videos of the accused, as seen on CCTV cameras across Bangalore. In one such clip, the accused – wearing a face mask – is seen boarding a bus.

Read on Anti-Terrorism Agency’s new photos of Bengaluru cafe blast suspect

This was about an hour after the explosion.

The agency had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information about the arrest of each accused. The agency had also questioned his acquaintances, including college and school friends.

Rameswaram Cafe, which was extensively damaged after the blast, reopened eight days later, with increased security measures including metal detectors.

Read on Bengaluru’s Rameswaram Cafe reopens 8 days after blast.

“We have strengthened our security team and are also looking to set up a separate panel of ex-servicemen who will train security guards across all our branches,” said co-founder Raghavendra Rao.

Earlier, the Bengaluru police had registered a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act in connection with the cafe blast.

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