Bengaluru cafe blast probe handed over to NIA: Report

The probe into the blast at a cafe in Bengaluru has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), according to news wire agencies.

At least nine people were injured when a blast took place at Rameshwaram Cafe in Brookfield in East Bengaluru on March 1. A man wearing a cap, mask and glasses is the prime suspect in the case and is still untraceable, newswire agency PTI claimed quoting its sources.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had on Sunday said his government may consider handing over the Rameshwaram Café blast case to the NIA if the need arises.


Karnataka Police was probing business rivalry angle in the case as well.

Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Sunday said one of the angles being probed was to see if it was to terrorise Bengaluru in view of the impending elections. "Elections are approaching. If any organisation is behind it, or if there are some other motives behind it to terrorise people to make Bengaluru look unsafe...," the Minister added.

"As many investors are coming here in view of a stable government, this might have been done either to stop investors from coming to Bengaluru or due to some other unknown reasons," Parameshwara said.

The Minister said business rivals might have done it out of jealousy. That is one of the angles, which is also being discussed.

To a question related to a pressure cooker blast in Mangaluru on November 19, 2022, Parameshwara said there was similar assemblage of explosives and other equipment as was in the incident in Mangaluru but that comparison doesn't mean the same gang was behind the blast at Rameshwaram Cafe.

With PTI Inputs