CHENNAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches at 10 places, including six locations in Chennai, in connection with the Bengaluru Rameshwaram Café blast case. According to sources, the searches were conducted to find out the suspects who had helped the accused during their stay in Triplicane for a month before the incident.
In Chennai, the searches were conducted at multiple locations including Old Washermanpet, Mannadi and Royapettah. Searches were also conducted at the residences of a person named Shiek Dawood and his father in Ramanathapuram. Mobile phones and electronic equipment were seized during the searches that started in the morning. Sources said NIA had searched Shiek’s house twice earlier for alleged connection with banned organisations a few years ago.
According to sources, more than 20 places allegedly linked to the bombers were searched in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on Wednesday. The agency, however, is yet to reveal the details about the outcome of these searches.
The blast in Bengaluru, which left several injured, was allegedly orchestrated by Musavir Hussain Shazib of Theerthahali in Shivamogga district in Karnataka. Following the investigation, the NIA found that Shazib, along with his associate Abdul Mathern Taha, had stayed in lodges in Triplicane, Chennai, for nearly a month before carrying out the attack.
Both the accused were under the NIA’s wanted list for their alleged involvement in a previous explosion in 2020.