Bengaluru blast: NIA to assist probe, police teams fanned out

BENGALURU: The National Investigation Team would assist in the probe into the blast in front of a restaurant here that killed a woman and police teams have been sent to Pune and Chennai to investigate terror links.

A high-level meeting was held by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah this morning to take stock of the security situation in the wake of a blast. It was attended by Home Minister K J George, DGP L Pachau, city Police Commissioner M N Reddi and others, as investigators continued to gather evidence on the blast triggered by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

In Delhi, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said it was a "terror attack".

George said the National Investigation Team would assist the city police in investigation, adding, "...we have to see what is the cause who is behind it".

Footages from the CCTVs installed in buildings around the blast site located in the heart of the city were being examined, police officials said.

Probe teams had been sent to Pune and Chennai, where blasts had occurred earlier, DCP (Central) Sandeep Patil said.

Investigation was being done "from all angles", Patil said.

The IED placed in a plant in front of Coconut Grove restaurant went off last night killing Bhavani Devi, who was here from Tamil Nadu and injuring her relative Karthik.

Two other persons sustained injuries. They were identified as Vinay and Sandeep and were undergoing treatment at HOSMAT Hospital.

The restaurant is close to the fashionable Brigade Road and MG Road, dotted with bars and restaurants with teeming crowd on weekends.

According to Police Commissioner, no group has claimed responsibility for the low intensity blast.

The Police Commissioner said special teams had been formed. "Multiple teams will be examining multiple possibilities."

He said probe teams would be sent to different parts of the country.

The police were examining the CCTV footages, he said.