Bengaluru (Karnataka): At least nine people have been injured after a bomb exploded at Rameshwaram Cafe here on Friday, police said. Bengaluru Police and firemen have arrived at the spot and began a through investigation into the explosion. A case has been booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that someone had left a bag at the cafe and that an IED (improvised explosive device) might have triggered the blast.
CM Siddaramaiah said, "The CCTV footage from the cafe is being examined. It has come to be known that someone had left a bag at the cafe. The accused in the incident will be punished." Deputy CM D K Shivakumar visited the spot and spoke to the local public. He said that a young man came to the cafe, took food and left a small bag there, which later exploded.
The Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular eatery at Kundanahalli in Bengaluru city, suffered a heavy damage after the blast. The incident occurred during the busy lunch hour when employees and workers in the area came to this cafe. "We received a call about a cylinder blast in Rameshwaram cafe. Immediately, a fire engine was rushed to the spot," officials said.
Initial suspicions were that it was a cylinder blast. However, preliminary examination of CCTV footage revealed that someone had left a bag in the cafe. Further investigation is on. Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan said that none has suffered serious injuries and the culprits responsible for the blast will be caught.
Meanwhile, when initial reports described it as a cylinder blast, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said that the explosion at the Rameshwaram Cafe seemed to be a clear case of a bomb blast. "Just spoke to Rameshwaram Café founder Sri Nagaraj about the blast in his restaurant. He informed me that the blast occurred because of a bag that was left by a customer and not any cylinder explosion. One of their employees is injured. It’s seems to be a clear case of bomb blast. Bengaluru demands clear answers from CM Siddaramaiah (sic)," Surya said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Earlier, a police officer said: "It is a minor blast and we have shifted those injured to the hospital. The incident occurred between 1.30 and 2 pm. We are probing it from all angles."
A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also expected to look into the matter. The police sniffer dog team, forensic experts and probe teams have arrived at the spot to collect evidence.
The officials gave priority to immediate rescue operations after the blast was reported. The exact reasons behind the explosion will be known only after a thorough investigation by the officials concerned.
Senior BJP leader BL Santosh said that Bengaluru and Karnataka are paying a huge price for electing a government which prides itself in extreme appeasement at every turn. "First, slogans in support of Pakistan inside Vidhanasoudha & now a low-intensity IED blast inside a bustling restaurant …Bengaluru & Karnataka are paying a huge price for electing a Govt which prides itself in extreme appeasement at every turn… High time society understands this," Santosh, who is BJP's national general secretary, said in a post on X.
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