Bengaluru cafe blast: CCTV trail provides new leads
New visuals of the suspect in The Rameshwaram Cafe blast case have emerged a week after the blast in Bengaluru. On March 1, a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) exploded inside the cafe in the city's Brookfield, injuring at least 10 people. Now, new CCTV footage obtained by authorities shows the suspect's movements before arriving at the cafe and his subsequent walk to a bus stop to escape.
Suspect's movements captured on CCTV
The footage shows the suspect arriving at a bus stop at about 10:45am, entering the cafe at 11:34am, exiting at 11:43am, and escaping using public buses. According to The Indian Express sources, the suspect's CCTV trail has yielded several vital leads, including his facial features. They indicated that the suspect took many public buses—both to allegedly plant the IED and to flee—and made several stops along the route, including at a Muslim religious center a few kilometers from the cafe.
Baseball cap found, suspect changed attire during escape
A baseball cap worn by the suspect was also discovered at one of the stops he made during his getaway, TIE reported. He is believed to have changed his clothes at this location before discarding the cap. Police sources have also found that the IED, which was placed in a corner of the cafe near a hand-wash area, contained nuts and bolts as projectiles. Fortunately, the presence of a wall and a tree near the IED reduced its impact.
IED contained mix of easily obtainable explosives
The IED was hidden in a tiffin box bag and wrapped in some fibrous material. It contained a combination of easily obtainable explosives—sulfur and potassium nitrate—and was detonated by bulb filaments activated by a digital timer connected to a printed circuit. The IED's triggering system closely resembled devices found in two Islamic State-linked terror incidents from 2022 in Karnataka, which are currently under the National Investigation Agency (NIA)'s investigation.
Investigators looking at multiple angles: G Parameshwara
On Sunday, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the police investigating the blast are looking at a variety of factors, including commercial rivalry and potential intimidation of investors. They were also looking into whether the blast was an attempt to terrorize the city ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The police have obtained footage from 40-50 CCTV cameras and efforts are underway to identify the suspect, he added.
Rs. 10 lakh reward for information on suspect
Meanwhile, the NIA has announced a cash reward of Rs. 10 lakh for any information about the bomber in The Rameshwaram Cafe blast case. In a public notification issued on Wednesday, the NIA stated that the informant's identity would be kept confidential. The case was handed over to the NIA by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday.
