MHA Hands Over Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Probe To NIA, Agency Files FIR

With the local police yet to make headway in the bomb blast at the Rameswaram Café in Brookefield here on Friday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Monday stepped in and took over the probe. The NIA taking over comes in the backdrop of the mounting criticism from the Karnataka unit of the BJP that the Siddaramaiah government was soft-peddling the probe. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Monday handed over the case to the NIA, and the officials will handle the case.

At least 10 people were injured in the incident, and all are currently being treated at multiple private hospitals. According to the CCTV footage, the suspect has been identified as 28 to 30 years old. He came to the cafe during lunch and bought a coupon for Rava idli but left the cafe without having the idli.

Details of probe

He left behind the bag with an IED. Bengaluru police also released the snapshots from CCTV footage where his face was covered with a mask and a cap. The co-founder and CEO of the Rameshwaram Cafe, Raghavendra Rao, told the media that the Union government and the state government should ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future and called for strict action. He also refuted the business rivalry angle and said there is no chance of anyone doing such a harmful activity within the business circle.

Meanwhile, the opposition attacked the Siddaramaiah-led government and said that the facts about the bomb blast are being hidden. On Sunday, leader of Opposition 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.”