Bengaluru: CCTVs grab first look of Cafe Rameshwaram blast suspect

CM Siddaramaiah visited the injured from the blast on Saturday and addressing the media said that he is confident the suspect will be nabbed soon. Pic/PTI

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Saturday expressed confidence about nabbing the culprit involved in the blast at the city's popular eatery The Rameshwaram Cafe, as his movement has been captured by the cameras. He said it is still not known whether any organisation was involved in the incident at the quick-service eatery in Brookfield area in the IT corridor in east Bengaluru that left 10 people injured, and the investigations are ongoing. Later in the day, he visited the cafe and inspected the spot. He met with the injured who are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

"The blast has happened. One person wearing a mask and cap has come by bus, he has purchased rava idli from the counter at the cafe and has sat at a place. Then he set the timer and left. The blast has occurred, about nine people (actually 10) are injured. All are out of danger," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru. On Saturday he instructed senior police officers to leverage technology effectively in investigation and ensure that the "full truth" of the incident comes out.

"We will find the culprit, it will be easy as his visuals alighting from the bus, purchasing tiffin at the eatery, sitting at a place and placing a bag have all come. We will find him at the earliest," said Siddaramaiah. Asked about some reports suggesting similarities between the 2022 Mangaluru cooker blast and the Friday's incident, Siddaramaiah said serious investigations are on. Reacting to opposition criticism that the government's "appeasement politics" has led to the incident, he said the BJP was playing politics on the issue.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah visits the Rameshwaram Cafe blast site in Bengaluru on Saturday. PIC/PTI

"During their time bomb blasts had occurred, Mangaluru cooker blast had taken place, was that also appeasement?" he questioned and said, he condemns the explosion, and the incident should not be politicised. To a question on whether it was a terrorist act, the CM said: "investigation is going on, we will take action based on what comes out of it." After meeting the injured at the hospital in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the injured are being treated well.

Noting that there are three injured, who are undergoing treatment at this hospital (Brookefield Hospital), he said, "One is a woman from Mysuru Swarnamba Narayanappa, who has suffered more injuries, and is in ICU. The other two - Farooq Hussain and Deepanshu Kumar - have not sustained much injuries." Siddaramaiah later held a meeting with top officials of the Home department in the presence of the minister G Parameshwara, Siddaramaiah asked them to take action against anti-social elements without any sympathy.

"Identify densely populated places and increase police patrolling in such areas. Security should be provided to the people," Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying to officials in a statement issued by his office. Siddaramaiah instructed the officials to speed up the investigation in the case and to ensure that such incidents do not recur. Siddaramaiah instructed police to restrain those spreading fake news on social media.

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