Bengaluru blast: What Karnataka authorities know about Rameshwaram Cafe suspect; 10 points

A team of Forensic Science Laboratory, bomb disposal squad and dog squad on Friday conducted an investigation into Thursday’s bomb blast at The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru’s Whitefield. 10 people have sustained injuries in the explosion.

Here are the top updates on Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru:

Karnataka home minister Dr G Parameshwara said on Saturday morning that the suspect appears to have come to the cafe on a public bus. He said the police are combing through CCTV footage for visual evidence. “We have constituted several teams. We have collected some evidence from CCTV footage. 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.

The Karnataka government has formed 8 teams to probe the blast. Deputy CM Shivakumar said on Friday that a man kept a small bag at the Rameshwaram cafe. The bag exploded an hour later. “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 ANI: “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.”

DK Shivakumar said the man appears to be 28-30 years old. He came to the cafe to have breakfast and ordered Rava idli. However, he didn’t eat the dish and left after paying for it.

The man kept a bag with an IED inside. It had a one-hour timer. An officer said the bag was lying behind a woman who was sitting with six other customers.

“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.

An NIA team visited the blast site on Friday. Union minister Pralhad Joshi demanded an NIA investigation into the blast. “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 also attributed the blast to radicalisation in the Congress-ruled state. He also cited the alleged pro-Pakistan slogans inside the Karnataka assembly. “If the Congress government in the state would have taken the Vidhana Soudha pro-Pakistan sloganeering incident seriously then this incident might not have taken place. The way the state government reacted to that incident in the Vidhana Soudha was ‘silly,’ and a very ‘casual reaction’ was given to the whole incident. When there is more appeasement politics, then there is an increase in radicalisation, which then converts into terrorism,” he said.

The Bengaluru police commissioner on Saturday said the police are pursuing several leads. “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.