Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa and Mussavir Hussain Shazib, apprehended by the NIA for their alleged involvement in the March 1 explosion at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru, spent a meticulous month in West Bengal, residing in various low-cost accommodations under false identities. The two men, both 30 years old, were taken into custody from Hotel Ayush International in New Digha, a tourist spot situated 180 kilometers south of Kolkata, at 2 am on April 12.
Police investigations reveal a timeline of their movements. The duo arrived in Kolkata from Chennai on March 12 and initially lodged at Esplanade Inn on SN Banerjee road. Despite claiming a three-day stay, they departed the following day, relocating to Hotel Paradise nearby on March 13. This pattern continued as they frequently changed lodgings, opting for guest houses and budget hotels with non-air conditioned rooms costing less than ₹1000 per night.
On March 14, they departed for Darjeeling in northern Bengal and then to Purulia in the western region before returning to Kolkata on March 21. They briefly settled at the Garden Guest House in Kidderpore until March 23. Following this, they moved to the Dream Guest House in Ekbalpore on March 25 for three nights.
Their whereabouts became elusive for the next 12 days until they resurfaced at Hotel Ayush International in New Digha, a picturesque beach-side town. Here, they occupied room number 4 on the fourth floor before being apprehended by authorities on April 12.
Also Read: NIA Arrests Mastermind and Perpetrator Behind Rameshwaram Cafe Explosion
The duo employed a strategy of using fake identity cards, including Aadhaar cards and driving licenses, to evade detection. At various hotels, they registered under aliases such as Yusha Shahnawaz, Vignesha BD, Anmol Kulkarni, Uday Das, and Sanjay Aggarwal.
During their stay in Kolkata, the men visited a mobile repairing shop at Chandni Chowk, where Shazib was observed with three mobile phones. The shop owner could not confirm if the devices had SIM cards installed.
The NIA’s investigation into the Bengaluru cafe explosion has taken a significant turn with the arrest of these individuals, shedding light on their meticulous planning and use of false identities during their stay in West Bengal.
