Bengaluru: As the NIA draws closer to the accused in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru, the city police have confirmed growing suspicions over the involvement of the Islamic State.
The NIA strongly suspects that the accused has links with ISIS and the Islamic State of Khorasan.
The NIA suspects the accused to be part of a syndicate, members of which have in the past committed the ‘perfect crime’ and escaped. These have been linked with this case.
The suspect managed to hide his footprints to a great extent. He wore gloves on his hands and did not leave fingerprints, wandered about areas where there was no CCTV and placed the bag with the bomb near the sink at the Rameshwaram cafe in Bengaluru. The accused also avoided using his mobile phone or private vehicles to commute.
These precautious acts led the NIA to believe that the accused was well-trained and had preplanned the blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru.
After observing the accused and analyzing his behaviour, the NIA suspected that he was an operative of the Islamic State of Khorasan, based on information on persons who committed crimes with a similar pattern.
On suspicion, the police have detained five people near a temple in Chennai for investigation. The police have stated that the bomber was working for the banned organization.
Currently, joint security agencies are tailing the bomber accused of planning the blast at the Rameshwaram cafe in Bengaluru.
After NIA announced a Rs 10 lakh bounty for leads on the accused, the police control room received numerous calls from people claiming to have seen the bomber. Most calls are of no use to the police, with no clarity on the statements of the callers. However, inquiries are being conducted without neglecting anything.
NIA officials on Wednesday, March 6, conducted a thorough search in Tumakuru and Bellary, however, the bomber is suspected to have fled to Bhatkal.
The Brookefield branch of Rameshwaram Cafe located on ITPL Road in Whitefield, Bengaluru was rocked by a low-intensity bomb blast on March 1, between 12.50 pm and 1 pm, injuring at least 9 people.
The investigation confirmed that the miscreant used ammonium nitrate powder for the blast, public sale of which is prohibited. It is widely used for blasting rocks in quarrying.
In Mangalore and Shimoga cases, sulfur powder (gun powder) and potassium nitrate were used. NIA is actively investigating ammonium nitrate suppliers in the state and outside the state.
