Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe to Reopen on Saturday Following Blast With Tightened Security Measures – News18

Last Updated: March 08, 2024, 20:05 IST

Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru where the blast occurred. (File pic/PTI)

A week after blast, Rameshwaram Cafe set to reopen amid investigation. Karnataka Home Minister cites progress in cracking the case

Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe, the site of a recent Bengaluru blast, is set to resume operations on Saturday. Raghavendra Rao, who is the owner of the famous cafe, assured that stringent security measures have been implemented ahead of the reopening.

“We commence our day with the national anthem as our ritual. We have provided all CCTV footage and information, cooperating fully with authorities. Grateful for government support in swiftly reopening the cafe, we await the NIA’s resolution of the case,” Rao told news agency ANI.

On March 1, a man walked into the cafe and set down a bag carrying explosives nearby, which had a timer set for an hour. Ten people were injured in the blast at the popular eatery in the Brookefield area. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has offered a reward of Rs 10 lakh to find the suspect, whose image has been captured on CCTV.

Earlier today, PTI reported that a cloth merchant from Kaul Bazaar in Ballari was detained by the NIA and Central Crime Branch in their joint investigation of the March 1 blast. The teams suspect that the detenu, who was an active member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), was part of the plot. The investigation teams found that the man who planted bomb at the food joint on March 1 travelled from Bengaluru to Tumakuru, Ballari, Bidar and then Bhatkal.

On Wednesday, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the police are pursuing vital clues and getting close to cracking the March one Rameshwaram Café low-intensity blast incident. The police got some vital clues in the past two days, which were promising, he told reporters here. “Our officers are getting close (to crack the case). Some vital information was received yesterday and day-before-yesterday, which we have taken very seriously. If we proceed this way then we will complete the investigation,” Parameshwara said.