On Friday, a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory, the bomb disposal squad, and the dog squad looked into the explosion that occurred at The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru’s Whitefield on Thursday. Ten individuals were hurt in the explosion. In accordance with sections 307, 471 of the IPC and 16, 18, and 38 of the UAPA, the Bengaluru police have filed a formal complaint. Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substance Act have also been introduced.
The suspect looks to have arrived at the cafe by a public bus, according to remarks made by Karnataka Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwara on Saturday morning. He stated that in search of tangible proof, the police are going through CCTV video. “We have formed a number of teams. We have some CCTV footage that we have gathered. When the explosion took place, a BMTC bus moved on that way. We have information that he came on a bus. We will arrest the accused as soon as possible,” he said.
G Parameshwara said a timer was used for the blast. “Our teams are doing great. A timer was used for the blast, and the FSL team is doing the work. We have a meeting at 1 pm. CM Siddaramaiah will lead the meeting with high-level police officials regarding the blast,” he said.
To investigate the explosion, the Karnataka government has constituted eight committees. On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar reported that a man had a little bag at the Rameshwaram cafe. An hour later, the bag detonated. “It was a low-intensity blast. A youth came and kept a small bag, which exploded after an hour. About 10 people received injuries. 7-8 teams have been formed to probe the incident. We are looking from all angles. I ask every Bangalorean not to worry,” he said.
A security guard who witnessed the blast told news agency: “I was standing outside the cafe. Many customers had come to the hotel. Suddenly, there was a loud sound, and a fire broke out, causing injuries to the customers inside the hotel.”
Per DK Shivakumar, the man looks to be in his 28s or 30s. He ordered Rava idli when he arrived at the cafe for breakfast. But after paying for the meal, he departed without finishing it.
The man carried a bag that contained an IED. A one-hour timer was included. The bag, according to an officer, was behind a woman who was seated with six other patrons.
“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.
On Friday, a team from NIA went to the blast site. Pralhad Joshi, a union minister, called for an NIA probe into the explosion. “We strongly condemn this blast, the NIA should investigate this, and the state government should recommend this. The people who are radicalized are encouraged and supported by the Congress, which is why these incidents are happening,” he said.
Joshi further linked the explosion to radicalization in the state run by the Congress. The Karnataka assembly’s purportedly pro-Pakistan slogans were also mentioned by him. “This event might not have happened if the state’s Congress government had treated the Vidhana Soudha pro-Pakistan sloganeering incident seriously. The state administration responded to the Vidhana Soudha tragedy in a “silly” manner, treating the entire incident with a “casual reaction.” More appeasement politics lead to a rise in radicalization, which feeds into the development of terrorism,” the speaker stated.
The police are following multiple leads, according to the commissioner of Bengaluru police on Saturday. “As regards the Rameshwaram cafe incident, the investigation is in full swing. Several teams are working on different leads obtained so far. Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the case and the security concerns, the media is appealed not to indulge in speculation and cooperate,” he wrote on X.
