Cafe Blast Being Probed from All Angles, Accused to Be Arrested Soon: Karnataka Home Minister

Karnataka home minister Dr G Parameshwar assured that the accused in the Rameswaram Cafe blast case will be arrested very soon. He also said that it is still not possible to conclude any terror organisation's involvement in the case.

Bengaluru: Karnataka home minister Dr G Parameshwar on Sunday said that the Rameswaram Cafe blast case is being probed from all angles and the accused will be arrested very soon.

''Information has been collected about the person responsible behind the blast in Rameswaram Cafe in Brookefield in east Bengaluru. We will arrest the accused as soon as possible," Parameshwar said to media persons at his residence today.

Parameshwar said that eight police teams have been set up and investigation is underway from various angles. "We have already got some information and efforts are on to collect more details. The forensic team has collected the sample. We got information about the person who did the blast and he will arrested soon. It could be a day or two but we will definitely catch him. We will investigate whether he is from any terror organisation or there were some other reasons," he said.

"The Rameshwaram Cafe is a prominent name in this sector and it has 11 units in the city. Plans are afoot to set up their 12th unit. Locals are saying that those who could not bear the success may have done this. This apart, elections are also round the corner. Investigation is also underway to find out whether any organisation has done this to turn Bengaluru into an unsafe city. There may also be some other reason behind the blast. But, no matter how difficult it is, we will solve the case,'' he said and urged people not to rely on unofficial sources and rumours.

Responding to whether the blast is similar to any other previous blasts, the home minister said that technically it is same as the Mangaluru cooker blast case but it does not mean the same accused was involved. "Technically the battery that has been used, the nuts and the timer are all similar. This aspect though is yet to be investigated," he said.

Parameshwar said that the explosives used were of low intensity and so the bomb's intensity was low. If the explosives were used in higher quantity then the disaster would have been much bigger. "When the bomb exploded, the nails and nuts all went up. If those went sideways instead of vertically then many people would have got hurt or even lost their lives," he said.

He said that the case is being investigated by both the NIA and NSG teams ''We are working towards make Bengaluru a safe city. Our government has spent a lot of money to make the city safe and installed CCTV cameras," he added.

"Police have examined all the CCTVs and it is said that suspect travelled in a BMTC bus. Around 26 buses passed in the area during the time of the blast. We have checked all 26 buses and CCTV's have caught their entry and exits. The bus in which the suspect travelled has been found. CCTVs showed him wearing a mask, cap and spectacles. There is not much clarity in the footage and we are waiting for the technical details,'' he said.

On the pro-Pakistan slogan allegation, the home minister said, "There is no question of covering up the FSL report. We know what BJP has done in their time. Talking about the issue will just become political. Who was in power when the cooker blast occurred in Mangaluru? Who was there in 2008 when the series of blasts happened? We can also say the same but won't. With elections approaching, they want to do politics over this so let them do it. People will decide who will win," he added.

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