Bengaluru blast: Rameshwaram Cafe to reopen today, Siddaramaiah to attend
What's the story
Almost a week after witnessing a low-intensity explosion, the famous Rameshwaram Cafe in the Whitefield area of Karnataka's Bengaluru is reportedly all set to reopen on Friday at 6:00pm.
State Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to attend the reopening event, even though the investigating teams have yet to make a major breakthrough in the blast case.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and state Home Minister G Parameshwara are also expected to attend.
Context
Why does this story matter?
On March 1, a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) detonated inside the cafe in the city's Brookfield area, injuring at least 10 individuals.
According to reports, the IED was concealed inside a tiffin box bag and wrapped in some fibrous material.
It allegedly contained a combination of easily obtainable explosives like sulfur and potassium nitrate and was detonated by bulb filaments triggered by a digital timer hooked to a printed circuit.
CCTV footage
New CCTV trail provides new leads in Bengaluru blast case
On Wednesday, authorities obtained new CCTV footage that shows the prime suspect's movements before arriving at the cafe and his subsequent walk to a bus stop to escape the blast scene.
In the footage, the suspect can be seen arriving at a bus stop at roughly 10:45am, entering the cafe at 11:34am, and exiting it at 11:43am.
The footage has also yielded several vital leads, including his facial features.
Probe underway
NIA takes over investigation, releases suspect's photo
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken charge of the IED blast investigation at Rameshwaram Cafe.
Earlier this week, the probe agency released a photo of the main suspect and offered a cash reward of Rs. 10 lakh for information leading to his arrest.
In a public notification released on Wednesday, the agency noted that the informant's identity would be kept confidential.
Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over the case to the NIA on Monday.
Political debate
Explosion has sparked political debate in Karnataka
Meanwhile, the explosion has sparked political debate, with the opposition attacking the Congress-led government, claiming that the blast demonstrates its inability to deal with terrorism.
On Sunday, Parameshwara said the police investigating the blast are looking at a variety of factors, including terrorism, commercial rivalry, and potential intimidation of investors.
The police have obtained footage from 40-50 CCTV cameras, and efforts are underway to identify the suspect, he added.