A day after a low-intensity blast in Bengaluru's very popular Rameshwaram cafe, Karnataka police have intensified the investigation. The blast has injured 10 people so far, officials said on Saturday. It has been told that the injured are out of danger.
In a statement late on Friday night, Divya Raghavendra Rao, Co-Founder & Managing Director of The Rameshwaram Café, said, "We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident at our Brookefield branch. We are cooperating with the authorities and officials in their investigations. Our thoughts are with the injured and their families, and we are offering them all the support, assistance and care they need and pray for their speedy recovery."
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Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah convened a meeting of senior Home Department officials today in a bid to take a stock of the situation.
Amid initial confusion over what caused the blast, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah yesterday confirmed that it was a bomb blast and the bomb was kept in a bag by a customer. He said that the police suspect a low-intensity improvised explosive device (IED) being used.
Earlier, the initial reports also suggested that an object placed in a bag exploded around 1 pm leading to black smoke in and around the cafe.
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Here are the top points of the incident that we know so far
Investigation Underway: Police, CCB, NIA, NSG Join Hands
After preliminary investigation, police on Saturday said, "We are positive about the leads we are getting in nabbing the culprit." The investigating teams are also looking at similarities between Friday's explosion and the November 2022 Mangaluru cooker blast, they further added.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has taken up the investigation, and seven to eight teams have been formed, the sources said, adding, the suspect, carrying a bag, was wearing a cap and mask to hide his identity.
"The bomb squad, canine squad, anti-sabotage teams and forensic analysts have visited the spot, for investigation and collection of samples," a police official said.
Also, sleuths from National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guard (NSG) reached the spot to help the local police in investigation and shared some inputs with them.
Suspect caught on camera
According to official sources, images of the suspect's movement have been captured by the CCTV cameras at the Rameshwaram cafe in Brookefield area and those nearby.
Yesterday, Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, as per the CCTV footage, the accused was a young man of about 28-30 years
It has been told that the identified man took a token from the cash counter but left the cafe, But, left the cafe without eating his food while leaving the bag behind.
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"The blast occurred at 1 pm. It happened at Rameshwaram Cafe. A young man of about 28-30 years came to the cafe, purchased Rava Idli at the counter, placed the bag near a tree (adjacent to the cafe) and left. After one hour the blast occurred," Shivakumar said, as per PTI.
Case registered under UAPA
Reportedly, a person has been detained for questioning late on Friday night. However, there is no official confirmation on this.
The Bengaluru police have registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act.
According to police, the blast was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fitted with a timer in a bag left near the handwash area of the restaurant by a "customer". It exploded about an hour later.
