Bellary: Police Commissioners and district police in Karnataka tightened security around temples and crowded public places under their jurisdiction after the Rameshwaram Cafe blast ahead of Mahashivratri.
Bomb disposal squad conducted inspections in temples in many districts of the state aside from public places.
The NIA has so far arrested 4 — Minaj, Syed Sameer, Anas Iqbal, and Shayan Rahman, in connection with the case. The four had previously been incarcerated in other cases.
Authorities have transported the accused to Bellary to intensify the investigation. Sources indicate the possibility of further arrests in the ongoing probe.
Minaj was an activist of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).
One of Minaj’s associates, Syed Sameer, who has been taken into custody by the NIA, had led protests in Bellary over statements made against Prophet Muhammad. It has been said that he was in contact with the Islamic State (IS) militants through social media and was ready to form a group to commit acts of sabotage in India.
Sameer established the Bellary unit of IS and Minaj was made the head of this unit. Sources said that 19-year-old Sameer took the responsibility of inciting Muslim youths to join the unit.
Sameer’s father is a vegetable trader and his mother is a housewife. Sameer reportedly owned an expensive laptop and was using it to plot terror activities.
The NIA raided his house on December 18, 2023, and confiscated the laptop. A lot of clues have been made available on this same laptop, sources said.
Sameer, who has expertise in technology, used to get acquainted with Muslim youth of the state and outside the state through mobile apps and other online systems and allegedly incited youth with provocative books, videos and pamphlets. This encouraged them to join the Bellary unit.
Sources in the investigative agency explained that Sameer and others were also giving training to such youths on how to make crude bombs (IEDs).
The suspects, Anas Iqbal Sheikh and Shayan Rahman of Delhi, are also members of the Bellary unit who have also reportedly received training to make bombs. Apart from the suspects, several youngsters are from across the country are being influenced to join the syndicate similarly. A search is underway.
The suspects reportedly bought and stored the raw materials required to make a bomb in 2023. Sources have revealed that the authorities have also obtained information from the stores where the material was purchased.
NIA officials took Minaj, who was lodged in the Bengaluru Central Jail, into custody.
Following this, Minaj’s accomplices Samir of Bellary, Anas Iqbal Sheikh of Mumbai and Shayan Rahman Alias Hussain of Delhi, were also arrested.
Sources in the investigation agency have said that the NIA suspects the role of the Bellary unit of the IS in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast and the suspects are being questioned to locate the accused who place the bomb in the cafe.
