A key suspect wearing a cap, glasses, and a mask, as captured by CCTV cameras at Rameshwaram Cafe, has emerged in connection with the blast that occurred around 12.56 pm on Friday. Police sources indicate similarities between the improvised explosive device or IED used in this incident and one involved in the Mangaluru explosion of 2022.
The suspect kept his face partially concealed, entered the restaurant, had a snack and left. The IED was found inside a tiffin box bag left near the hand-wash area, causing injuries to nine individuals, with a 45-year-old woman sustaining nearly 40 per cent injuries and being admitted to the ICU.
Preliminary investigations suggest the use of an IED with a bulb filament as a detonator, similar to the device used in the Mangaluru incident associated with alleged Islamic State (IS) operatives. While some aspects differ, such as the explosives used, similarities in the detonator raise concerns.
Bengaluru city police have registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Substances Act, indicating the incident’s treatment as a terrorist act. The National Investigation Agency-NIA is expected to take over the investigation.
The Mangaluru incident involved Mohammed Shariq, who sustained burn injuries from a similar IED in an auto-rickshaw. Shariq, allegedly linked to IS, was arrested afterward. The IED contained gunpowder as the main explosive material and was built using easily available materials, suggesting it was created by inexperienced individuals.
Shariq, along with associates, was reportedly involved in terror activities, learning bomb-making techniques from videos. Two of his associates, Maaz Ahmed and Syed Yasin, both engineers, were arrested by Shivamogga police in a terror case in September 2022, while Shariq was reported as absconding.
The investigation into the Shivamogga-Mangaluru IS module led to multiple arrests, with a key financier deported from the UAE.
The striking similarities between these incidents raise concerns about the proliferation of improvised explosives and the need for stringent counter-terrorism measures.
