Nine Injured In Explosion At Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe, CM Siddaramaiah Points To Suspicious Bag

At least nine people were injured in a fire caused by a blast reported at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe on Friday. The blast occurred around 1 pm at the Whitefield branch of the cafe in the city’s Rajajinagar.

The blast was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), top intelligence sources told News18. The agencies are mainly looking at two angles – terror and business rivalry.

Meanwhile, the police have cordoned off the area. The bomb squad and firefighters are have reached the site and rescue work is currently underway. A team of forensic experts was also seen collecting evidence from the site of the explosion.

Notably, the café is one of the most popular food joints in Bengaluru.

Speaking about the blast, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that investigations are underway and CCTV footage covering nearly 2 km has been secured. “We can confirm the details once our police team provides information about the presence of an IED, etc. Our various teams are currently at the spot,” he added.

CM Siddaramaiah Points To Suspicious Bag

Responding to the blast, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Friday said that someone had left a bag at the spot and the CCTV footage is being examined. The Chief Minister added that the Rameshwaram Cafe blast was caused by a low-intensity improvised explosive device.

“We have learnt that someone had kept a bag there. We are examining the CCTV footage. We are still investigating. Police is at the spot. It was a low-intensity blast,” Siddaramaiah said.

BJP Attacks Congress

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya took to X posted: “Just the other day, Congress MLC B K Hariprasad professed love for Pakistan, and today Bengaluru, in a throw back to UPA days, sees, what is possibly a lone wolf attack. The Congress must stop compromising on security for appeasement politics.”

BJP leader Tejasvi Surya also claimed that the explosion occurred because of a bag left by a customer, not a cylinder explosion, in a social media post on X.

“Just spoke to Rameshwaram Café founder Sri Nagaraj about the blast in his restaurant. He informed me that the blast occurred because of a bag that was left by a customer and not any cylinder explosion. One of their employees is injured. It’s seems to be a clear case of bomb blast. Bengaluru demands clear answers from CM,” Tejasvi wrote.