How a baseball cap worn by Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe blast suspect gave cops key clue: Report

Investigators have most likely determined the identity of the Rameshwaram Cafe bomber by way of the limited edition baseball cap worn by him.

In a significant development, investigators in Bengaluru have most likely determined the identity of the bomber involved in the low intensity blast at the city's Rameshwaram Cafe on March 1, by way of the limited edition baseball cap worn by him.

The NIA released this picture of the bomber, captured from the CCTV footage while keeping a bag in The Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular eatery in Bengaluru's Brookfield area.

The suspect was seen wearing the white cap in CCTV footages on the day of the blast, which injured as many as 10 people. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), as well as the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru police, is leading the investigation into the case.

Authorities found the cap abandoned around three kilometres from the cafe, where the suspect is said to have changed his shirt as well, The Indian Express reported. The branded cap, which had the number 10 on it, was sold by retail store at a mall in Chennai, cops found.

The cap was found to have been a part of a limited edition series from a youth brand, with the serial number on it tracing it back to the point of sale, police officials told the publication. Only 400 such caps have been sold in India by the brand.

Investigators scoured through CCTV footages from the store and spotted two men purchasing the cap and some other items at the store in January. Putting the images retrieved from the footage with those from a public bus in Bengaluru when the suspect was seen without a mask, helped cops arrive at a clearer picture of the suspect's identity.

The man is likely to be a missing suspect from the Islamic State's Shivamogga module, the report said. The NIA has had a ₹5 lakh reward sum set for suspect's arrest, who has been on the radar of investigative agencies since January 2020, the report said.