The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the probe into the recent blast at The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru from the Karnataka Police. The anti-terror agency is supposed to probe a larger conspiracy behind it.
The low-intensity blast occurred last week at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru's Brookefield area, injuring at least nine people who were lunching at the popular eatery.
Eight teams have been set up to crack the case and Karnataka’s Deputy CM, DK Shivakumar, has promised them a free hand and said that the incident “should not be politicised”.
After the blast in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area last Friday, a team of NIA had visited the crime scene and informed their seniors at the Delhi headquarters, who in turn informed the MHA. Sensing the gravity of the case, it was later decided by the MHA to hand over the probe to the NIA.
The suspect, seen wearing a cap, mask and glasses, has been identified on CCTV. According to the CCTV footage, the suspect has been identified as 28 to 30 years old.
The footage shows the suspect briefly entering the cafe, purchasing a coupon for Rava idli and leaving without consuming it. He is suspected to have left behind a bag containing the improvised explosive device (IED).
Meanwhile, political parties have engaged in exchanges. R Ashoka, leader of the Opposition, criticised the government's handling, alleging suppression of key blast-related information.
On Sunday, R Ashoka said: “The Congress government is only trying to hide facts in the Rameshwaram cafe incident. The government did not reveal even a single piece of information about the culprits. They are trying to change the FSL report. This happened also in the incident where ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were raised in Vidhana Soudha.”
