NIA releases new photos of Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast suspect

The identy of the suspect who allegedly planted explosives in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe remains a mystery and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has realesed new photos of of the man, seeking help from the public in tracing him. The Rameshwaram Cafe explosion case was handed over to the NIA on March 3, the anti-terror agency has asked for the public’s help in identifying the suspect who is thought to have put an IED (improvised explosive device) in the well-known Bengaluru restaurant on March 1.

The primary suspect was seen getting on a bus in CCTV footage about an hour after the explosion at the cafe. The explosion occurred around 12:56 p.m. on March 1. The suspect was seen leaving an IED-containing bag at the cafe while sporting a facemask, cap, and T-shirt.

At approximately 9 p.m. on the same day, another video footage revealed that the suspect was walking near a bus stop. Offering a reward of ₹ 10 lakh for useful information, the NIA has invited people to come forward with any information that could help identify and apprehend the culprit.

The Bengaluru police’s Central Crime Branch and the NIA are working together on the inquiry. Two people have been taken into custody in the explosion case. One of them is a cloth merchant from Kaul Bazaar in the Ballari district and the other is a person connected to the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI).

The investigation team claims that following the crime, the suspect changed into new clothes and took buses to Tumakuru, Ballari, Bidar, and Bhatkal, among other places. The suspect is shown on CCTV constantly changing his look to avoid being discovered.

The Rameshwaram Cafe reopened with tighter security on Saturday. To ensure the safety of both customers and employees, metal detectors have been placed at the entry, and customers must pass through screening with handheld detectors.