Agencies
Bengaluru, Mar 01: A low intensity bomb blast at a popular eatery in Bengaluru on Friday left 10 people injured, leading the police to invoke the stringent UAPA provisions in the case.
The police suspect that an improvised explosive device (IED) fitted with a timer inside a bag could have exploded.
Officials from the local unit of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrived at the spot and conducted an inquiry. The Bengaluru police registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act.
A statement issued by the city police commissioner's office said 10 people — hotel staff and customers — were injured in the blast that occurred between 12.50 pm and 1 pm. The injured are undergoing treatment.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said investigation is on to ascertain the cause and nature of the explosion at the popular Rameshwaram Cafe in Whitefield locality and added that it might have been caused by an “improvised explosive” device.
The incident should not be politicised and everyone should cooperate, he said, adding that strict action would be taken against those involved.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who along with Home Minister G Parameshwara visited the blast site in the evening and also those injured at the hospital, said it was a low intensity explosion and a timer was fixed to the device. “The blast occurred at 1 pm. A young man of about 28-30 years came to the cafe, purchased rava idli at the counter, placed the bag near a tree (adjacent to the cafe) and left. After one hour the blast took place,” he said. Noting that the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has taken up the investigation, the DCM said, “Seven to eight teams have been formed… We are confident that within a few hours they will find the culprit.”
State police chief Alok Mohan described the explosion as a “bomb blast” and said nobody was seriously injured.
“We are investigating. FSL (forensic) teams have come and are checking. City police commissioner and other officers are at the spot. We will certainly identify who did it,” he said after visiting the spot. Asked whether an IED was used for the blast, he said, “We are checking.”
“Let's not say anything now itself. The FSL team has come and they are checking. Once they collect (samples from the spot), we will examine.”
Divya Raghavendra Rao, co-founder & managing director of Rameshwaram Café, told the media that the blast occurred in the area where customers wash their hands. A stand is also kept there, where the waste is collected.
The explosion was caused due to some object in a bag placed by someone from outside, she claimed.
A CCTV video grab of the incident showed an explosion, leading to smoke and panic-stricken customers and others fleeing the place.
