In a major breakthrough in the Bengaluru Rameshwaram cafe blast case, two absconding accused, considered to be the prime accused have been arrested on the intervening night of Friday by West Bengal police in close coordination with Central Intelligence Agencies from a hideout in Digha, East Midnapore, some 190 km away from Kolkata, the state capital. The accused identified as Adbul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazib are suspected of having links with the terrorist organisation ISIS. According to NIA, while Shazib is suspected to have planted the IED inside the cafe, Taha is suspected to be the mastermind behind the March 1 blast that had left at least eight people injured.

“The absconders in the Rameswaram Cafe blast case, Adbul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazeb were traced out to their hideout near Kolkata and were apprehended by the NIA team. Mussavir Hussain Shazib is the accused who placed the IED at the Café and Abdul Mateen Taha is the mastermind behind the planning, execution of blast and subsequent evasion from the clutches of law”, said NIA in a statement. The central agency further added that they were “supported by co-ordinated action and co-operation between Central Intelligence agencies and State Police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala police”.

War of words, however, unfolded soon as BJP leader and IT cell chief Amit Malviya called the arrests an indication as to how Bengal has become a safe haven for terrorists. “NIA detains two chief suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib and accomplice Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, from Kolkata. Both likely belong to an ISIS cell in Shivamogga, Karnataka. West Bengal, unfortunately, under Mamata Banerjee, has become a safe haven for terrorists”, posted Malviya on ‘X’.

The counter to this post came soon from the official X handle of West Bengal police, debunking the claims. “Falsehood at its worst! Contrary to the claims made by Amit Malviya, the fact is that, two suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case have been arrested from Purba Medinipur in a JOINT operation by the West Bengal Police and the Central Intelligence Agencies. The proactive role of WBP in the matter has been officially acknowledged by the Central Agencies. West Bengal has NEVER been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain ever-vigilant in keeping its people safe from nefarious activities”, claimed West Bengal Police.

Trinamool Congress has further called out the place of arrest which is East Midnapore, known to be the turf of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and his family. While the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed the arrests were done by them from a hideout near Kolkata, sources within Bengal police state that the arrested accused will be handed over to NIA but the execution of the arrests was done by East Midnapore police working in coordination with Central Intelligence Bureau and their inputs.