Bengaluru Café Blast: New leads on suspect's identity found in CCTV footage

The CCTV footage procured on the day of Rameshwaram Café explosion has given some key findings in the identification of the prime suspect in the case, according to a media report.

The CCTV footage has shown the suspect who is aged around 30 years to have arrived at 10:45 am in a public bus at a bus stop located about 100 metres from the café. He entered the cafe at 11.34 am, and exited at 11.43 am. He then walks to a bus stop over a kilometre away for his escape using public buses.

The March 1 explosion which happened at around 1 pm, injured nine persons. As per the initial probe, the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) containing a mix of easily available explosives was kept in a tiffin box bag wrapped in fibrous material, reported The Indian Express.

According to media sources, the triggering system in the IED bears a close similarity to devices found in two Islamic State-linked terror incidents from 2022 in Karnataka. The sources also revealed that a baseball cap worn by the suspect at the café was found at one of the stopover locations during the escape. It is speculated that the suspect changed his clothing at a stop where the cap was discarded.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the case from the Bengaluru police on the directive of Ministry of Home Affairs despite the Karnataka government not handing over the case.

On Wednesday, the NIA announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information about the suspect and also posted his CCTV grab. The case has been registered under the stringent UAPA act.