NIA and CCB getting closer to suspect Rameshwaram cafe blast: Karnataka home minister

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Bengaluru’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) have found leads on the Rameshwaram cafe blast suspect and are getting closer to the bomber, home minister G Parameshwara said on Monday.

“The teams have found some good leads about the man behind the blast. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and City’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) are jointly pursuing the leads,” he said.

The suspect, who allegedly caused an IED explosion in the cafe ten days ago, was caught on CCTV cameras in the cafe, as well as a Ballari bus stand on the day the blast occurred. The trail behind the suspect took the teams probing the case to Tumkur and Ballari, then to North karnataka’s Kalaburagi.


Last week, the NIA had released photos and CCTV footage of the bomber, and had announced a bounty of Rs 10 lakh for anyone that would provide information about him. The informers would be anonymous, the agency had promised. Recent images on the NIA’s X handle show the suspect wearing a light purple shirt, jeans, and a face mask.

The blast had occurred on March 1, when an IED explosion was set off in the cafe in the heart of the city’s tech hub, injuring 10 people. CCTV footage showed a bearded man wearing a mask, cap and spectacles leaving a bag behind in the cafe, which detonated about an hour after he left.