2024 Bangalore Cafe bombing explained

2024 Bangalore Cafe bombing
Location:Whitefield, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Coordinates:12.9707°N 77.7125°W
Date:1 March 2024
Time:12:55 PM
Type:Bombing
Target:Rameshwaram Cafe, Whitefield Branch
Fatalities:0
Injuries:8
Weapons:Improvised explosive device

On 1 March 2024, an improvised explosive device (IED) inside a bag exploded at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bangalore, India.[1] [2] [3] At least eight people were injured and taken to hospital, though none were in critical condition.[4]

Bombing

The blast occurred at 12:55 PM (UTC+05:30) at the Rameshwaram Cafe's Whitefield branch. It was caused by a low-intensity IED.[5]

Investigation

Initially, the Bengaluru Police registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances act.[6] Even though a gas leak was suspected as the cause of the blast, the fire department ruled it out in the beginning itself.[7] After checking CCTV visuals, Siddaramaiah, the chief minister of Karnataka confirmed that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED). He also said that a man was seen placing a bag containing the IED in the cafe.[8]

On 4 March 2024, National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a first information report (FIR) following a direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).[9] The NIA released a photo of the suspect wearing a cap, mask and eyeglasses and offered as reward for information on the blast suspect.[10] The suspect was later identified by NIA as Mussavir Hussain Shazib, who hails from Thirthahalli, Karnataka. His accomplice was identified as Abdul Mateen Taha, who also hails from Thirthahalli. Taha was also a part of Islamic State (ISIS) module in Shivamogga and was wanted for the murder of a Tamil Nadu police inspector named K. Wilson.[11]

On 12 April 2024, the NIA arrested Shazib and Taha from their hideout in Kolkata. After the bombing, both of them had travelled through different routes and used different identities to escape from the law enforcement agency. Both of them were planning to leave Kolkata when NIA officials arrested them. NIA said that Shazib had placed the bomb at the cafe and Taha was the mastermind of the blast.[12] [13] [14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2024-03-01 . Rameshwaram cafe explosion was IED blast, confirms Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah . 2024-03-01 . Hindustan Times . en.
  2. Web site: Biswas . Sayantani . 2024-03-01 . Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Live: Explosion was IED blast, confirms CM . 2024-03-01 . mint . en.
  3. News: Sarkar . Indranil . Hebbalalu . Varunvyas . 2024-03-01 . Blast at cafe in India's Bengaluru injures 8, authorities say . 2024-03-01 . Reuters.
  4. Web site: 2024-03-01 . At least eight people injured in blast at cafe in India's Bengaluru . 2024-03-01 . Al Jazeera . en.
  5. Web site: At least 9 persons injured in IED explosion at Bengaluru restaurant . 2024-03-01 . newsonair.gov.in.
  6. News: Bengaluru cafe bomb blast: Case registered under UAPA and Explosive Substances Act . 2024-03-01 . 2024-06-20 . Deccan Herald.
  7. News: Nine people injured in Bengaluru cafe blast, fire dept rules out gas leak as cause . 2024-03-01 . 2024-06-20 . The Print.
  8. Blast in Bengaluru cafe, man who planted IED bomb identified on CCTV . Sagay . Raj . Nagarjun . Dwarakanath . Prateek . Chakraborty . 2024-03-01 . 2024-06-20 . India Today.
  9. News: Bengaluru cafe blast: NIA takes over probe, registers FIR after MHA directive . Mukesh . Ranjan . Praveen . Kumar . 2024-03-05 . 2024-06-20 . The New Indian Express.
  10. Web site: 2024-03-06 . NIA announces Rs 10-lakh reward for info about Bengaluru cafe blast suspect . 2024-03-06 . The Statesman . en.
  11. Bengaluru cafe blast main suspect identified, linked to IS module: Sources . Sagay . Raj . Arvind . Ojha . 2024-03-23 . 2024-06-20 . India Today.
  12. Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe blast mastermind, bomber arrested from Bengal . Arvind . Ojha . Sagay . Raj . Jitendra . Bahadur Singh . 2024-04-12 . 12 April 2024 . India Today.
  13. News: Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe blast: NIA arrests 2, including 'mastermind', from Bengal . 2024-04-12 . 2024-04-12 . Hindustan Times.
  14. Web site: 22 February 2019 . 2 Men Who Plotted, Planted Bomb At Bengaluru Cafe Arrested From Bengal . 12 April 2024 . NDTV.com.