Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is likely to visit the blast site on Saturday, said an unidentified person appears to have used an improvised explosive device (IED) in the blast that took place in popular Bengaluru eatery The Rameshwaram Cafe on Friday. CCTV footage revealed that "a man was seen keeping a bag in the cafe". At least ten people were injured after a blast at The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area on Friday, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar said. Bengaluru city police in a press statement said HAL police have registered a case under sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 and Explosives Substances Act. Here is what we know about Rameshwaram Cafe blast so far: 📌 The blast occurred around 12:45 pm during the busy lunch hour when crowds from nearby offices generally line up. 📌 The site of the explosion has been sealed as police carries out investigation. Fire personnel are also on the spot, along with forensics officials and sniffer dogs. 📌 Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, "I have spoken to the Home Minister and senior police officials. What they informed me was that an unknown person carried a bag to the restaurant. He bought a token and consumed food. Later, he left the bag which carried the bomb. The police are examining CCTV cameras. The police say that it was a high ‘explosive blast’." 📌 When asked if it was a 'terrorist attack', Siddaramaiah said the investigation is underway. 📌 Bengaluru city police in a press statement said HAL police have registered a case under sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 and Explosives Substances Act. 📌 Speaking to reporters, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar said ten people have been injured so far in the blast. 📌 The nine injured include the staff of the hotel as well, as per regional Kannada news channel TV9. 📌 The Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Bengaluru on Saturday took up the investigation, forming 7-to-8 teams to carry out the probe. Images of the suspect's movement have been captured by CCTV cameras at Rameshwaram cafe in Brookefield area and those nearby. 📌 An employee of an IT firm, Swaranamata Narayanappa, aged around 40, was a customer at the restaurant. Two staff members – Farooq Hussain and Dwipanshu – are also among those who suffered injuries, said a police officer. 📌 The forensics team, including police officials from the HAL, Whitefield and Indiranagar police stations reached the spot to investigate. 📌 “A lady who was seated closest to the place where the blast occurred suffered burns,” a hotel employee Rashid Hussain said. 📌 Founder and Managing Director of The Rameshwaram Cafe, Divya Raghavendra Rao, said, "This is not a cylinder explosion. All our cylinders are safe inside the kitchen and no lapses have been identified. One customer and three of our staff have been injured and we are taking care of their expenses." She added, "We have given access of all our CCTV cameras to the police. The bomb squad is also in the restaurant to identify the cause. We are cooperating with the law enforcement agencies." 📌 The explosion was initially believed to have been caused by a cylinder blast. 📌 Bruhath Bengaluru Hotels Association President PC Rao said that the association will be convening a meeting with police officials, member hotels and other stakeholders to discuss the SOPs to maintain vigil in hotels. “The incident is a wake up call for us and we must not let our guard down. We will convene a meeting with member hotels, police officials and other stakeholders on Wednesday to discuss the do’s and don’ts in hotels, review the SOPs and beef up security measures to avert an untoward situation. We are planning to have a zero tolerance approach against suspicious individuals and those who are loitering in the hotels henceforth,” he said. 📌 The cafe is located in east Bengaluru, and is renowned for its South Indian cuisine.
