NIA arrests ex-convict linked to LeT in Rameshwaram Cafe bombing case

The investigation revealed that Mirza, previously convicted in a LeT Bengaluru conspiracy case, became involved in this new conspiracy after his release from jail. In 2018, he befriended and introduced Abdul Matheen Taha to an online handler believed to be abroad.

Three days after a massive crackdown across four states in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday (May 24) arrested another accused, identified as Shoaib Ahmed Mirza, also known as Chhotu, a 35-year-old resident of Hubbali City, Karnataka.

Mirza, an ex-convict in a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror conspiracy case, is the fifth person to be rrested in this investigation.

The investigation revealed that Mirza, previously convicted in a LeT Bengaluru conspiracy case, became involved in this new conspiracy after his release from jail. In 2018, he befriended and introduced Abdul Matheen Taha to an online handler believed to be abroad.

Mirza provided an email ID for encrypted communication between the handler and Taha, who was arrested on April 12 from his hideout in Kolkata, West Bengal, along with co-accused Mussavir Hussain Shazib.

The Rameshwaram Cafe blast, which took place on March 1, 2024, left several injured and caused extensive damage to property. As part of the investigation, the NIA has conducted extensive searches at 29 locations across India.

The agency is continuing to investigate the role of the handler and the larger conspiracy behind the blast.