NIA takes over probe into Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru
People aware of the matter said the federal anti-terror agency was looking into the possible role of terror outfits such as the Islamic State (IS) in the incident
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday took over the probe into the blast at a popular cafe in Bengaluru, people aware of the matter said, adding that the federal anti-terror agency was looking into the possible role of terror outfits such as the Islamic State (IS) in the incident.
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) handed over the investigation to NIA, which was already assisting the state investigation teams, they added.
Nine people were injured after a low-intensity bomb exploded in the Rameshwaram Cafe in the state capital on Friday, prompting a multi-agency probe with preliminary investigations zeroing in on a man who left a bag near the cash counter.
“We are looking at all the possible angles including the role of IS cadres since there have been similar blasts in Coimbatore and Mangaluru in the past few years,” said an NIA officer on condition of anonymity.
In November 2022, an Improvised Explosives Device (IED) kept inside a pressure cooker accidentally went off when it was being taken in an auto rickshaw by one of the accused in Mangaluru. In its charge sheet, NIA said the accused intended to plant the bomb at the Kadri Manjunatha temple as part of an “Islamic State-sponsored” act. A month earlier, a vehicle-borne (V-IED) driven by the accused Jamesha Mubeen blew up in front of a temple in Coimbatore. In its charge sheet, NIA said that Mubeen was inspired by the sermons of Zahran Hashim, a radical cleric, who masterminded the Easter serial suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka in 2019.
On Sunday, chief minister Siddaramaih said that they were not against NIA taking over the case.
“”The government does not underestimate the seriousness of this matter. The safety of our citizens is paramount. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police are actively investigating the incident, and as of now, the perpetrators have not been apprehended. If deemed necessary, we will consider handing over the case to NIA,” he said.