Rameshwaram cafe owner's 1st reaction, rivalry angle, politics, suspect profile: What we know so far
Rameshwaram cafe blast: The suspect is a man of 28 to 30 years old who bought a coupon for Rava idli but did not have it and left the bag.
Divya Raghavendra Rao, founder of Bengaluru's famous Rameshwaram cafe which witnessed a shocking blast during the peak lunch hour on Friday, was in Hyderabad when the mishap took place. Speaking to television channels, she said the incident can't be business rivalry as she does not have business rivals. On the context of business rivalry, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said it was a narrative the Congress was feeding after their initial cylinder blast one failed. Chief minister Siddaramaiah must give free hand to the investigation, Tejasvi said. The Bengaluru BJP MP was the first one to announce on social media that he spoke to the cafe owner who confirmed that there was no cylinder blast.
Bengaluru cafe blast: Follow LIVE updates
Rameshwaram cafe blast: Here is what we know so far
When did the blast take place?
The blast took place exactly at 12.45pm at the place where people wash theirhands after eating. CCTV footage of the exact time when the blast took place has been found. It shows there were many people in the area which was -- in a minute -- covered with heavy smoke after two consecutive blasts took place. The cafe owner too confirmed that two blasts took place. There were bins to collect garbage which got scattered as seen in the video.
Was it a major blast?
Initially, it was thought to be a cylinder blast. But the cafe owner clarified that there was no blast from the cylinder and the explosion took place from the bag of a customer. It was not a major blast as the government later confirmed that it was caused by a low-intensity improvised explosive device. There was no fatality and no major injury.
What Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said
Siddaramaiah confirmed that it was an IED explosion and the investigation is on to find the culprit. He said the incident should not be politicised as such a blast did not take place in Karnataka for a long time and the last one was in Mangalore during the BJP rule.
Was it a terrorist attack?
It is not yet known whether the blast was a terrorist attack or not. Karnataka home minister said all angles will be probed. Reports said police confirmed that the IED was activated using a timer.
Who were injured?
At least nine people have been injured but all of them are out of danger. The injured include one customer and three of the cafe staff.
Rameshwaram cafe blast: Who is the suspect?
Going by the CCTV footage, the suspect is a man of 28 to 30 years old. He came for breakfast, bought a coupon for Rava idli, but did not eat it. Cops suspect he must have left the bad behind. The bag was lying behind a woman who was sitting with six other customers.
Recommended Topics