Ten people were injured in the blast following which a case was registered under UAPA and Explosives Substances Act. The case could be handed over to NIA.
The Rameshwaram Cafe at Kundalahalli, where the blast occurred.
“It was around five minutes after 1 pm when we heard a loud blast. The sound sent shockwaves through our building. Then all that we saw was brown smoke coming out of the entire building and people running out,” said a member of the staff from Sri Sai Bakery, situated opposite the Rameshwaram Cafe on the other side of the ITPL Road in the Kundalahalli area of Bengaluru.
He was speaking about the explosion on Friday, 1 March, that rocked the Brookefield branch of the popular eatery chain.
Friday’s scenes at the eatery, however, were far from palatable. The bakery worker recounted: “We saw a lady limping and being helped by others to walk on the road. Everyone else was rushing out of the Rameshwaram Cafe.”
Screengrab of the visuals before and after the blast.
Local resident Shabrish Kundalahalli told South First that the blast could be heard from nearly a kilometre away.
“We initially thought it could be a transformer. Some thought it could be a gas cylinder or an electric vehicle that had caught fire. When we rushed to the spot, we did not see fire, but thick smoke was emanating out of the building,” he recalled.
“People were running out. We, the locals, helped them to get to the hospital one after the other. Around four of them were injured, including a woman named Swarnamba Narayanappa, an accountant with a private IT firm whose ID card was found at the spot and was handed over to the police,” Shabrish told South First.
He added: “At the blast spot near the washing area of the cafe, we also found a 9-volt battery along with torn pieces of a bag and ID cards strewn around. A cafe staff screamed at us not to take videos of the building and the blast spot.”
Police sources told South First that soon after the blast, at least 10 people were shifted to nearby hospitals where four had to be treated and others were examined and sent home with first aid.
One of them who suffered injuries was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for critical observation, but was said to be out of danger, added the police sources.
“Usually, this cafe is very crowded during the evening. However, it was a Friday, and thus there was a decent crowd during lunch time as well — when the blast occurred,” Suresh, another local resident, told South First.
CCTV footage obtained by the police from the cafe showed a buzzing eatery when the blast occurred around 1.03 pm close to the washing area.
A person was seen thrown on the floor and another fell down while running away. Many were seen rushing out of the building as thick smoke billowed.
The HAL police reportedly reached the spot within 15 minutes of the cafe staff informing them.
On Friday afternoon, a senior police officer from the HAL Police Station informed South First that it was not a cylinder blast. They were, however, still probing LPG-related utilities — such as gas pipe connections or gas boilers — that could have caused the explosion.
The police claimed they concluded within an hour that the blast had been caused by a low-intensity improvised explosive device (IED).
This led them to call in the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) to comb the blast site — which had been cordoned off — and personnel from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
Police sources eventually confirmed that the explosive was kept inside a bag abandoned by an individual at the cafe.
The cops were said to be gathering information from the cashier about this person, as he had taken the bill and the token from him.
He got the food, ate it, and then kept the bag near the hand wash area, said the police.
The police reportedly also stumbled upon two persons who were moving around suspiciously inside the cafe, but they were yet to be identified and traced, said the sources.
The HAL police stated that a total of 10 people were injured in the blast, and that they had registered a case under appropriate sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 and the Explosive Substances Act.
Confirming that the explosion was indeed a bomb blast, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that preliminary investigations revealed a low-intensity IED had caused it.
More information would be available after the complete probe was carried out, he added.
“The investigation into the explosion that took place at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru is underway in full swing. Strict action will be taken against the culprits for sure,” said the chief minister.
“It was reported that the person who had taken a token from the cashier and had breakfast at the cafe left a bag behind, which exploded,” he noted.
“The police are checking the CCTV footage, and the investigation is going on. The home minister has been asked to visit the place, and clear information will be available soon,” said Siddaramaiah.
“Such an incident should not have happened in the state. Another such incident had happened in Mangaluru earlier. Whoever did this will be apprehended and strict action will be taken against them,” he added.
Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara acknowledged the blast and said the relevant personnel had been rushed to the spot.
“Samples are being collected. We will know the source soon,” he said, besides confirming the details of the injured and their health conditions.
“Many people are making many claims of an IED being placed and about a bag there, but we are yet to get official confirmation. The Home Department will give official information. I will not speculate,” Parameshwara told reporters.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, however, said the police had identified the suspect as a man in his early 30s who ordered rava idli, after which he abandoned a bag he had brought that contained an IED device fitted with a timer.
“A man aged between 30 and 35 has been identified as the prime suspect. He came by bus and entered Rameshwaram Cafe. He ordered a rava idli breakfast and had it. He then left his bag near a tree,” said Shivakumar.
“The explosion happened around 1 pm, though it was a low-intensity blast, according to police officials. Customers at the cafe were shocked and scared due to the blast sound that affected their ears,” he noted.
“We have CCTV cameras at the cafe and we have identified the culprit. He will be arrested soon as we have very capable police officers. Let the BJP politicise anything, but we are worried about the image of Bengaluru and Karnataka and we will protect it at any cost,” he said.
Karnataka Director General & Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP) Alok Mohan visited the spot. He later stated that he had passed on details to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
While leaders of the BJP, including Union minister Pralhad Joshi pinned the blame on Congress’ “minority appeasement” politics for the blast, minister of Karnataka government said probe had not ruled out any angle.
”All of this is a result of Congress’ appeasement politics. They should realise it at least now. Appeasement leads to emboldening of people with extremist mindset. We condemn such appeasement,” Joshi told reporters right after visiting the injured in the hospital. The statement came even as other BJP leaders drew parallel between the blast and alleged pro-Pakistan slogans at Vidhana Soudha earlier this week.
Police sources said they were probing all the angles, including one of a business rivalry.
They noted that inquiries with the eatery chains’ staff members reveal that this is not the first time bags had been found abandoned at the cafe.
Earlier, the staff had stumbled upon an abandoned bag that had items meant for black magic, added the police sources.
Meanwhile, Rameshwaram Cafe Cofounder and Managing Director Divya Raghavendra Rao issued an official statement late on Friday.
In it, she said: “We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident at our Brookefield branch today. We are cooperating with the authorities and officials in their investigations.”
She added: “Our thoughts are with the injured and their families, and we are offering them all the support, assistance, and care they need and pray for their speedy recovery.”
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