Bengaluru blast case: NIA team arrives spot, IED suspected

National Investigation Agency (NIA) team arrives at popular Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru's Whitefield locality in connection with the blast case that claimed at least 10 people's lives on  February 1.

Police suspect that an improvised explosive device (IED) fitted with a timer inside a bag could have exploded and have registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act.

Following the IED blast, the state government handed over the probe to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru police. Soon after, the investigators identified the prime suspect to be a man aged 30-35. So far, no arrests have been made, CCB sources said Monday. 

Fresh footage accessed by the DH on Monday showed that the suspect deboarded a BMTC bus at a bus stop near the eatery on Kunadahalli main road between 11.20 am and 11.30 am. After briefly checking his backpack, the suspect entered the eatery at 11.34 am.

As he entered, the suspect took out his mobile phone from his trouser pocket and held it to his ear. After ordering a rava idly, the suspect kept a bag containing the IED near the tree adjacent to the seating platform where the explosion occurred, the investigators said. 

Floor manager Hariharan told the floor supervisor Rajesh KV that he saw the suspect with a plate of idly keeping a bag he was holding at the place where the blast occurred, the FIR noted. The suspect exited the eatery at 11.43 am, holding the mobile phone near his ear, the CCTV footage showed.

CCTV footage accessed earlier showed the suspect wearing a white cap with the number 10, a black face mask, a backpack, a long-sleeved shirt, dark trousers and shoes around 11.50 am walking on the Kundalahalli main road. Then, at 11:50:29, he quickly glanced at his wristwatch.

Two other footage also showed the suspect holding a plate of rava idly inside the eatery and a close-up where the suspect with a moustache appeared to be wearing spectacles, while his chin was covered with the facemask. CCTV footage from inside the eatery had the timestamp 12:55:31 when the IED exploded.

If the timestamp of the CCTV footage is considered, the suspect had at least a two-hour headstart. While the firefighters, who were alerted by locals, arrived after 1.15 pm, the police arrived later. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) arrived between 2.50 pm and 3 pm.

The case was registered under Sections 15 (terrorist act) and 16 (punishment for terrorist act) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P)A), 307 (attempted murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 3 (punishment for causing an explosion likely to endanger life or property), 4 (Punishment for attempt to cause an explosion, or for making or keeping explosive with intent to endanger life or property) of the Explosive Substances Act.