New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has reportedly detained Sai Prasad, a BJP worker, in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case. According to media reports, two mobile shop workers, questioned by the NIA last week, allegedly named Prasad.
Sai Prasad has been brought in for questioning by the NIA due to his alleged connection with two suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case. Last week, the NIA conducted raids in Shivamogga, including a mobile store and the residences of two suspects.
The low-intensity bomb blast at Bengaluru’s popular cafe on Friday was executed by triggering the IED bomb using a timer.
Meanwhile, according to the reports, after a reported claim that a BJP worker was linked to the Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe blast, the anti-terror federal probe agency NIA on Friday issued a statement cautioning against the disclosure of witness identities.
The NIA in an official statement said, “The case being a terror incident, any information on the identity of the witnesses may, apart from hampering investigation, may also put at risk the individuals being summoned.”
It further said, “The NIA sleuths are in the process of gathering evidence and information in the case and in this regard it has been summoning and examining all of the acquaintances including college and school time friends of the absconding and arrested accused persons.”
Karnataka’s Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao earlier on Friday alleged that the NIA has detained a BJP worker in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast.
Though the NIA statement did not directly deny the details of the person, it suggested that the man is a witness in the case and that he was questioned, not detained. It is said that one of the accused in the case bought a second-hand phone from the shop run by the BJP worker in Thirthahalli.
The NIA on March 26 arrested a key suspect Muzammil Shareef in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru. The arrest came after massive raids across multiple locations in three states– Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Muzammil Shareef allegedly provided logistic support to the two other accused.
The Karnataka health minister said in a post on X, “BJP leader has been taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency in connection with the Rameswaram Cafe blast case.”
Reacting to this, the state BJP unit posted: “The Congress is spreading fake news in connection with the blast case in order to protect their brothers… Ignorant Congress leaders do not know the difference between questioning a witness and questioning an accused.”
The prime suspect Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain and co-conspirator Abdul Matheen Taha are yet to be arrested. The NIA had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information regarding those responsible for the blast. The agency had promised to keep the informant’s identity confidential.
The blast at the eatery on ITPL road in Bengaluru’s Brookefield area on March 1 involved an IED, causing injuries to customers and staff and damaging the establishment.
The agency asked the public for information regarding two individuals wanted in the case: Mussavir Hussain Shazib, also known as Shazeb or Md Juned Hussain or Mohammed Juned Sayed, and Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, also known as Abdul Matheen Taha or Matheen or Taha or Vignesh D or Sumit, or any other assumed Hindu name.
