A day after at least ten people were injured in an explosion at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru's Whitefield on Friday, 1 March, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that "a serious investigation is underway. BJP should not play politics in this matter."
Four suspects have also been detained in connection to the explosion and the case has been handed over to the City Crime Branch. Earlier, the chief minister had said that preliminary investigations revealed that an improvised explosive device (IED) caused the blast at the site.
"It was reported that the person who had taken the token from the cashier and had breakfast there, left the bag," he said on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday evening.
On 2 March, while speaking to the media, the CM said, "A person wearing a mask and cap came in a bus, fixed the timer and exploded it. The deputy CM and Home Minister visited the spot yesterday. I will also go to the hospital and the spot today. I don't know if this is the work of an organisation or not. A serious investigation is underway. BJP should not play politics in this matter."
Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, visited the victims of the blast at hospitals on Sunday, 3 March.
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(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
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(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
Who is the Suspect?
Purported CCTV visuals from the cafe showed a man carrying a bag into the cafe, placing it inside, and leaving the premises. His face is hidden by a mask and a pair of glasses, and he also wears a cap in the said footage. He is reported to have entered the cafe at 11:34 am and left by 11:50 am.
Reports stated he travelled in a Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) Volvo bus.
"The main culprit behind the bomb blast that took place at Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe has been identified on the CCTV camera recording. Based on the CCTV footage, the accused appears to be 28 to 30 years of age, he visited the restaurant and ordered rava idli at the cafe," said Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
The police has registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,1967, and the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
Screenshot of the CCTV footage of the suspect at the cafe.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
According to the cafe's owner, Divya Raghavendra Rao, the suspect was seen having 'rava idli' before leaving his bag in the restaurant, as per NDTV.
Speaking to the media on 3 March, the owner said that the cafe will reopen on Friday, 8 March.
"One woman lost her eyes, and we are there with her. We are with our staff, four or five people, who are hurt very badly. We need all your blessings to show what the power of youth is and to say we are Indians and we are no less than anybody. We're going to launch on Friday with a good bang. And we need all of your support," Rao said, as per Mint.
What Happened at the Cafe?
Where did the blast occur? The explosion occurred at The Rameshwaram Cafe, which is a popular eatery in the city's Kundalahalli area. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), a bomb squad, and a forensics team are on site and have been investigating the incident.
Among the injured are a customer and three employees, Divya Raghavendra Rao, co-founder of the cafe, told local news channel TV9.
Cause of the blast: Rao said that the blast was caused by something which was kept in a customer's bag. "The explosion happened in the area where customers wash their hands. It was nothing in the kitchen that exploded... something that was kept in a bag exploded," she told TV9.
Former Bengaluru Commissioner of Police Bhaskar Rao confirmed to The Quint that it was, in fact, a bomb blast.
Earlier, he said, "It was a low intensity blast. An investigation is ongoing to find out the identity of the person who kept the bag there."
B Dayananda, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru posted on 2 March that "investigation is on full swing."
Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said, "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. Our teams are doing great. A timer was used for the blast, FSL team is doing the work."
What Has Opposition Said?
The BJP in Karnataka, meanwhile, demanded that CM Siddaramaiah resign from his post in light of the incident.
In response to their demand, Shivakumar told ANI on Sunday: "They want resignation? We will send them whatever resignation they want. They are just doing politics and spoiling the image of Bengaluru. What all has happened in Karnataka during their times, they should see the mirror. If they are hurting Karnataka, they are hurting the country and themselves..."
Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya, on 1 March, took to social media to say that the blast was not caused by a cylinder explosion, but that it seemed to be a "clear case" of a bomb blast.
"Just spoke to Rameshwaram Cafe founder Sri Nagaraj about the blast in his restaurant. He informed me that the blast occurred because of a bag that was left by a customer and not any cylinder explosion. One of their employees is injured. It seems to be a clear case of bomb blast. Bengaluru demands clear answers from CM," he had said.
The police, however, said that they will officially declare the cause only after a proper investigation.
"We don't want to speculate. The forensics team is collecting evidence. We will be able to give more details later," Karnataka police chief Alok Mohan had said while addressing the press.
He had also said that all the injured persons have been shifted to Brookfield Hospital and were out of danger.
Shivakumar had said that a thorough probe was being conducted into the cause of the incident.
"Officials are investigating the cause of the blast: whether it involves business rivalry or other motives. CCTV footage within a 2 km-radius of the restaurant is being scrutinised. We are committed to maintaining peace and ensuring protection. Once authorities provide details on the possible use of an IED, I will be in a position to answer further queries."Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
What Did Eyewitnesses See?
Several eyewitnesses said that utter chaos broke out following the explosion.
"I was waiting outside the eatery for my turn when suddenly we heard a loud noise... an explosion. We got scared not knowing what it was. There were around 35-40 people at the eatery. They all started rushing out and there was absolute chaos," an eyewitness named Edison told news agency PTI.
Another eyewitness, Amruth – who works at a private company near the cafe – said that he had just placed his order when suddenly he heard a loud explosion.
"I was waiting outside the cafe after placing my order and the blast took place. We saw some four people were injured. In no time, ambulance and fire engine rushed in. Police teams were here. They started rescuing people," he told PTI.
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