NIA raids 11 sites in cafe blast case

New Delhi, May 21

The NIA on Tuesday raided multiple locations in four states as part of its efforts to uncover the entire conspiracy behind the Rameshwaram café blast case and to identify the other conspirators involved in handling the accused from abroad.

In a coordinated action, NIA teams searched 11 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. The attack, which took place on March 1 had also caused massive damage to property. The 11 suspects whose premises were searched on Tuesday include individuals convicted in the 2012 LeT conspiracy case of Bengaluru and Hubli districts of Karnataka. The targeted searches led to the seizure of various digital devices and documents, which the NIA is examining exhaustively.

The NIA had taken over the case from Karnataka Police on March 3 and had arrested two accused, Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha, from their hideout in Kolkata on April 12, after a nationwide hunt. The duo, both Shivamogga residents, were identified as the perpetrator of the attack. — TNS

Searches in 4 states

NIA teams searched 11 locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Extensive searches were conducted on the premises linked with 11 suspects in the case, in which an IED explosion at the café had left several persons injured.