- Sunday, May 19, 2024
State home minister G Parameshwara said the law-keepers were carrying out an in-depth probe into the blast and gathered certain information from CCTV footage.
By: Shubham Ghosh
WITH speculation growing strong over who was behind the low-intensity blast at a popular restaurant in the Indian city of Bengaluru, also known to be the country’s IT capital, on Friday (1) resulting in injuries to 10 people, the home minister of the southern state of Karnataka or which Bengaluru is the capital said the police were looking into all angles of investigation and it was not possible whether any outfit was responsible for the blast at this moment.
No outfit has claimed responsibility over the explosion till now.
G Parameshwara on Saturday (2) said the law-keepers were carrying out an in-depth probe into the blast and gathered certain information from CCTV footage. He said footage from Bengaluru’s public transport buses that were plying through the area where the eatery is located was also being analysed.
Read: Bengaluru cafe blast: Suspect carrying bag spotted in CCTV footage
#WATCH | Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and State Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara along with DGP Alok Mohan arrive at the Bengaluru explosion site pic.twitter.com/3rZuhlsIoB
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2024
Rameshwaram Cafe, where the blast took place, is a quick-service restaurant in a busy IT corridor in Brookefield in east Bengaluru and the blast took place during peak lunch hour.
Read: Blast at Bengaluru cafe: 9 injured
“Several teams have been formed to investigate. In depth investigation is going on with seriousness, some traces have been found. Some information has been gathered from CCTV footage. At that time on that route number 26 buses had gone. There is information that he (suspect) has come by bus. So, (route number) 26 buses have been verified at Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC),” Parameshwara said.
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, he said, “on the basis of the theory of elimination”, more buses are being verified for footage.
“We expect information from it. Gathering all this information we will nab the culprit. At no cost we will let go. No matter how much they try to escape, we will not leave them,” he added.
At this moment it is not possible to say whether any organisation or an individual was involved, the home minister said. There were certain theories during his visit to the cafe last night, expressing suspicion that someone might have done it out of “heartburn”, unable to digest the cafe’s success and expansion. “We will look into all angles. Whichever angle it might be, we will verify them and catch the culprits behind the blast,” he said.
Asked whether the probe will be handed over to federal probe agencies, Parameshwara said, “we have efficient officers, we have efficient FSLs (Forensic Science Laboratory). We are advanced. FSL team has collected samples, they have gathered information on timer fixed, the capacity of the explosive. It will help the investigation.”
Parameshwara also took a dig at the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party over its demand of his resignation over the state’s alleged law and order failure. He said the opposition seek resignation of the chief minister and home minister for “everything”.
“We have a responsibility to run the administration, we will not let anyone escape,” he said, noting that he had appealed to the opposition not to do politics on the issue and to cooperate, as it is the matter of Bengaluru and state’s pride and security of the people.
Authorities of Rameshwaram Cafe, meanwhile, said it is cooperating with authorities and officials in their investigation.
In a statement, it said, “We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident at our Brookefield branch. We are cooperating with the authorities and officials in their investigations.”
Co-founder and managing director of the cafe, Divya Raghavendra Rao, said, “Our thoughts are with the injured and their families, and we are offering them all the support, assistance and care they need and praying for their speedy recovery.”
Footage of a suspicious person was gathered from the CCTV footage while an individual accompanying him was detained and being interrogated by the police.
Siddaramaiah, the chief minister of Karnataka, said the culprit will be caught at the earliest.
(With PTI agencies)
