Bengaluru: The initial probe into the blast at a cafe in Bengaluru that left at least nine persons injured Friday suggests the use of low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
The authorities have also gathered information from the locals about the suspicious movement of two persons before the explosion at Bengaluru’s popular eatery, The Rameshwaram Cafe, in the Whitefield area Friday, which left at least nine persons injured, of which the condition of three is stated to be critical.
A bomb disposal squad and forensic teams are at the spot to ascertain the actual cause of the blast as police now suspect that a bag at the eatery exploded. CCTV footage is being scanned to check if there was any suspicious movement in and around Rameswaram Cafe in Whitefield, where the blast took place.
Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and other senior officials are inspecting the premises, which has been cordoned off. NIA and IB officials have been informed, the DGP said.
“At 1.08 pm today, the fire department received a call about LPG leakage fire in the cafe. When our officers and teams reached the spot, there was no fire or flame. A bag which was lying behind a woman who was sitting with six other customers at the eatery exploded. It is suspected that the explosion could have been caused due to some object in that bag,” TN Shivashankar, Director of Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services department told PTI.
It is not clear whose bag it was, he said.
Ruling out about the possibility of any gas cylinder leakage, the officer said, “I along with my team of officers inspected the spot. But there is no sign of any leakage from the gas cylinder. We have checked it. Another LPG gas cylinder inside the kitchen which was used for tea and coffee was also checked but there is no leakage from it as well. There is no sign of gas leakage from any cylinders at the spot as per our initial probe.”
In total, nine people, including seven customers were injured. Among those grievously injured is the woman who was sitting near the bag. She is being treated at the hospital, he added.
Sources said that soon after the blast, the entire cafe was engulfed in thick black smoke.
The incident took place at around 1.15 p.m. during lunch time, when a large number of people had gathered at the cafe. Most of the customers were IT professionals as the cafe is located in the Kundalahalli Gate area near Indiranagar, considered as an IT corridor, sources said.
The police have recovered nuts, and a bag carrying batteries from the spot.
The authorities are also suspecting that the act could be a fallout of business rivalry.
“We are not ruling out any possibilities,” an officer said.
The sources said the authorities have ruled out the possibility of an LPG cylinder blast, as was initially suspected. They have also ruled out the possibility of leakage from the gas pipes or boilers in the kitchen.
The police have recovered the ID card of a woman bank employee who suffered injuries in the blast, and are scanning the CCTV footage from the area for further clues.
Meanwhile, BJP MP from Bengaluru South constituency, Tejasvi Surya, said that he has spoken to the founder of Rameshwaram Cafe, Sri Nagaraj, who told him that the blast occurred because of a bag that was left there by a customer, and it was not a cylinder explosion.
“One of their employees has been injured in the explosion. It’s seems to be a clear case of bomb blast. Bengaluru demands clear answers from CM@siddaramaiah,” Tejasvi Surya tweeted.
PNN & Agencies