Nine injured in suspected IED blast at café in Bengaluru's tech hub
explosion at a popular café in Bengaluru’s tech hub of Whitefield on Friday afternoon, triggering panic in the vicinity.
The blast at Rameshwaram Café was a low intensity one set off by what looked like an improvised explosive device (IED), Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said. A ‘customer’ took a token from the cashier, had food, and left his bag near the washbasin before leaving the place, he said.
Siddaramaiah promised tough action in the case and appealed to the opposition parties not to politicise the situation.
Forensic and explosive experts have gathered samples from the site and will do an in-depth examination, Karnataka police chief Alok Mohan said. The injured people are out of danger, he added.
A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also visited the site, police said.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar urged people not to panic, saying the police were on their job. “The blast is being examined from all angles including that of business rivalry. There is video footage available, and police will examine the person’s movements in a radius of 2-3 km from the café,” he said.
Café cofounder Divya Raghavendra Rao said there were two back-to-back explosions caused by the bag left at the washing area. “Three of our staff members have been injured. We found a battery at the blast spot and have given all the CCTV footage to the police,” she said.
Doctor Pradeep Kumar at the Brookefield hospital where three of the injured were being treated said the injuries were not life-threatening. The injured
