The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker into custody in connection with the March Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru, according to report in Kannada news website Public TV. The BJP worker, identified as Saiprasad was taken into the custody from Thirthahalli in Karnataka's Shimoga district.
According to the report, NIA officials have summoned Saiprasad for questioning. Last week, authorities raided the the houses and a mobile shop of two Muslim youths and in Thirthahalli. The investigation revealed that Saiprasad had been in contact with the two, the report stated. Following this, the authorities took Saiprasad into custody for questioning.
The NIA, which took over the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case on March 13, arrested Muzammil Shareef last month. Shareef is said to be the key conspirator of the blast. His arrest happened after authorities carried out several raids across multiple locations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The agency had initially identified the main accused, Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain, who allegedly carried out the blast, and another conspirator, Abdul Matheen Taha. Both Hussain and Taha are yet to be arrested.
Authorities revealed that an IED was used to carry out the blast at the eatery located at ITPL road in Bengaluru's Brookefield neighbourhood on March 1. The blast injured several customers and hotel staff. It also caused considerable damage to the establishment.
