New Delhi

Advertisment

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Saturday (Mar 2) that there seemed to be a link between the blast at Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe earlier this week and an explosion in Mangaluru in 2022. "There seems to be a link between the Mangaluru incident and this incident, according to police officers... materials used (for explosions), we can see a similarity, we can see a link, timer and other things," Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar told reporters, the news agency PTI reported.

Also read | Bengaluru cafe blast: Crime Branch detains, interrogates four people after spotting suspect on CCTV

Shivakumar said that the state government was committed to a fair investigation, and the police were given a fair hand to probe the incident at the Rameshwaram Cafe. "There is no reason for Bengalurians to worry, it was a low-intensity blast, it was prepared locally... but the sound was big. The culprit's face is visible from all angles despite him wearing a cap or specs. From three angles he is seen. Cameras have captured him walking too," he added.

Advertisment

Meanwhile, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi visited the cafe's Hyderabad branch on Saturday to show solidarity. In a post on X, Owaisi said the explosion was an act of cowardice and an attack on India’s values.

What happened at the Rameshwaram Cafe?

On Friday afternoon, at least 10 people were injured at the cafe after a male suspect, reported to be aged between 28 to 30, came to the cafe and left a bag that had an improvised explosive device (IED). The suspect ordered idli at 11.38 am local time. Six minutes later, he reached the hand wash area of the cafe and placed the IED-laden bag.

Advertisment

×

At 11.45 am, he left the cafe and the blast took place at 12.56 pm. As per authorities, the injured included the customers as well as the cafe's staff. On Saturday, the eatery's co-founder Raghavendra Rao said that the Karnataka government and the central government should ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future.

"I want to convey my strong regards to people who were hurt. I want to say we are with them, their family," Rao told reporters. He further said that the cafe would reopen next week. 

The Mangaluru explosion that was sponsored by IS

In Mangaluru, an IED kept inside a pressure cooker accidentally went off when it was being taken in an auto rickshaw in November 2022. Investigators said that the explosion was sponsored by the Islamic State, and the IED was meant to be planted at the Kadri Manjunatha temple. 

The prime accused in the case suffered severe injuries in the explosion along with others. 

(With inputs from agencies)