The National Investigation Agency (NIA), investigating the cafe blast in Bengaluru's Brookfield, has significantly closed in on the suspect. His identity has been confirmed, and several important clues have been unearthed. The NIA, with the Central Crime Branch (CCB), could make an arrest at any moment. A reward of 10 lakh rupees had been announced on the suspect's head.
Karnataka's Home Minister G Parameshwara stated that NIA and police officials are nearly positive in identifying the suspect behind the March 1st explosion. Efforts to apprehend him are ongoing and they seem to be closing in on him. The investigators are firming up evidence on his identity.
"The case is under close investigation. We have almost pinpointed the individual (suspect). His identity has been ascertained, now only confirmation and capture remain. Teams from NIA and CCB are collaboratively working on the case and have come across some very promising leads," said Parameshwara.
The National Investigation Agency had announced a cash reward of 10 lakh rupees for any information leading to the suspect involved in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case. NIA posted a picture of the suspect wearing a cap, mask, and glasses as he entered the cafe and shared a phone number and email for the public to send in tips about the unknown individual.
The NIA has assured that the identity of the informant will remain confidential. Prior to the NIA, the Karnataka Police's CCB had been investigating the blast, which now supports the NIA. The blast injured at least ten people and was carried out using an improvised explosive device (IED).
Search for Two Terrorists Linked to Lashkar Module
Intelligence agencies suspect that two terrorists played key roles in this blast—Junaid and Salman, who are reportedly in Azerbaijan. Previously located in Dubai, the two fled and are identified as members of the Lashkar module. In July, intelligence agencies uncovered a Lashkar module in Bengaluru leading to six arrests.
The seized weapons were supplied by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Salman, and the module's funding was managed by Junaid. The two had met with notorious terrorist T-Najir in a Karnataka jail, who radicalized them for terrorist activities. The module spread across Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra, prompting the NIA to conduct raids across 17 locations in seven states last Tuesday.
Mangalore Connection and IED Use
Light is shed on a blast from two years ago in Mangalore, Karnataka, this time carried out with a pressure cooker. On 19 November 2022, an auto exploded in Mangalore while Sharik, a suspect was transporting an IED in a cooker. The use of IED in the cafe blast was similar to that employed in the Mangalore cooker explosion.
The esteemed Rameshwaram Cafe, nestled in Bengaluru's bustling Brookfield area, is a local favorite and might explain why this location was targeted. The explosion wounded ten people, leading to chaos and fear amongst the crowd. Initially thought to be a cylinder blast, the arrival of police and NIA shifted suspicions elsewhere.
