Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaih chaired a crucial meeting Saturday afternoon with officials from the home department, high-ranking police officers, Home Minister G Parameshwara, IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge and other cabinet members in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. During the meeting, the chief minister urged the police officials to use technology to the fullest potential to investigate the case. According to Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda, several teams have been formed to investigate the case now handed over to the City Crime Branch (CCB). He also stated that the investigation is in full swing; however, no arrests have been made yet. Siddaramaiah also directed the police to increase patrolling in crowded places and crack down on fake news related to the blast. The chief minister said, “Use the best possibilities of technology effectively in investigations. Identify densely populated areas and increase police patrolling in such areas. Ensure that such incidents don’t occur again.” Siddaramaiah instructed the intelligence to be alert and to take stringent action against social miscreants. He also stated that he would call for a separate meeting with the police department soon regarding this. Siddaramaiah, who was in Mysore for inaugurating various developmental projects, flew to Bengaluru at around 11.45 am on Saturday. He visited the hospitalised victims in Brookfield and announced that the state government would bear all the hospital expenses. He later visited the blast site and reviewed the situation. The suspect in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case was believed to be wearing a cap, mask and glasses to conceal his identity. As per the preliminary investigation, the suspect was seen to have placed a bag containing an IED explosive near the handwash area of the cafe and timed it for detonation at around 1 pm. Nine people were injured following the low-intensity explosion that took place at the Rameshwaram Cafe in the Whitefield area on Friday afternoon. The blast has similarities to the IED explosions reported in Mangaluru and Shivamogga in 2022, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Saturday.
