Bengaluru cafe blast: NIA detains one person based on travel history

Mangalore Today News Network/News18

Bengaluru, Mar 13, 2024: The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday detained one person for questioning in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case. The suspect, identified as Shabbir, belongs to Cowl Bazaar area in Ballari.

The probe agency suspects Shabbir of having knowledge about the blast and detained him on the basis of his recent travel history.

 

Last week the NIA and the Central Crime Branch detained a cloth merchant from Kaul Bazaar in Ballari and a PFI cadre in their joint investigation in the blast case.

The teams suspect that one of the two detainees, who was an active member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), was part of the crime’s plot.

The investigating teams believed that he close association with some terrorist organisation. Sources said that the PFI cadre is believed to have brainwashed many people, including the man who planted the bomb.

Earlier, last week the NIA had released fresh pictures of one of the main suspects of the blast case and called upon citizens to assist in identifying the individual possibly linked with the explosion at Rameshwaram cafe.

“NIA seeks citizen cooperation in identifying the suspect linked to the Rameswaram Cafe Blast Case. Call 08029510900, 8904241100 or email info.blr.nia@gov.in with any information. Your identity will remain confidential,” NIA said in a post on X, along with a picture of a suspect wearing a pink T-shirt and blue jeans.

The main suspect, previously was seen travelling in a bus without a cap and mask and before that, he was seen wearing a baseball cap, which was later found by the central probe agency near a mosque.

Rameshwaram cafe resumed its operations on Friday last week, eight days after the blast which left ten persons injured. The famous cafe’s owner, Raghavendra Rao assured people that strict security measures have been taken ahead of the opening.

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.