The suspect is seen speaking on the phone in one clip.
Bengaluru:
The blast at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram cafe on Friday left ten people injured. The entire sequence of events – the suspect walking into the cafe and the explosion taking place – happened inside 86 minutes.
The timeline begins at 11:30 am when an unidentified individual, after getting off a bus, enters the cafe premises. This person, later identified as the prime suspect, is seen on camera ordering a plate of Rava idli at 11:38 am. At 11:44 am, the suspect reaches the hand wash area of the cafe and places the bag which allegedly carried an improvised explosive device (IED).
The suspect leaves the cafe at 11:45 am, walking down the road instead of taking the footpath, seemingly trying to avoid the CCTV cameras installed along the path to catch a clear picture of him. At 12:56 pm the blast takes place, causing chaos and panic among customers and staff alike. Around a hundred metres from the cafe’s premises, the suspect disappears.
The suspect is seen speaking on the phone in one clip. Police are examining the calls to find out who he was talking to.
The identity of the suspect remains unknown, with limited visuals available only within the Rameshwaram Cafe. The suspect, with his face hidden by a mask, glasses, and a cap on top of his head, was caught on cameras installed inside the cafe carrying a plate of idlis.
Another individual, who was seen along with the suspect, has been detained and is being questioned by the Bengaluru police.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has taken charge of the investigation, deploying multiple teams to identify the accused. State Police Chief Alok Mohan assured the public that despite the severity of the incident, no one sustained serious injuries. As forensic teams examine the scene, NSG commandos and bomb squads continue to comb the area for evidence.
The police have invoked stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act in response to the attack. Individuals previously implicated under the anti-terror law are also being probed. The suspected IED employed in this incident bears resemblance to the one deployed in Mangaluru in 2022 when an autorickshaw exploded.