CCTV footage provides clues on suspect’s identity and movements in Bengaluru cafe explosion.

The CCTV footage from the March 1 bomb blast at The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area has provided insights into the suspect’s identity. The NIA has taken over the case from the local police and has offered a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to the suspect’s capture. The footage shows the suspect arriving at a nearby bus stop around 10:45 am, entering the cafe at 11:34 am, leaving at 11:43 am, and then walking over a kilometer to another bus stop to escape using public transportation.

According to reports, surveillance footage tracking the suspect’s movements before and after the explosion at the café has provided crucial information, including details about his appearance. The suspect was seen using multiple public buses for both placing the explosive device and escaping the scene, with stops made at various locations, including a Muslim religious center nearby. A baseball cap worn by the suspect at the café was discovered at one of these stops, where he also changed his clothing.

The improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in a corner of the café near a hand-wash area, but its impact was somewhat limited by nearby structures. The projectiles from the device, consisting of nuts and bolts, primarily flew upward due to surrounding obstacles rather than spreading horizontally through the crowded restaurant.

Investigations revealed that the IED was housed in a tiffin box bag and wrapped in fibrous material. It contained easily accessible explosives such as sulphur and potassium nitrate, triggered by filament bulbs activated by a digital timer connected to a printed circuit.

Authorities noted similarities between the triggering mechanism of this IED and those found in two previous terror incidents linked to the Islamic State in Karnataka in 2022, currently being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Investigators suspect that the individual might have simulated using a mobile phone during the nine-minute pause at the cafe. Although the police are examining cell tower dump records for the duration when the individual was at the restaurant and nearby areas to pinpoint active phones, there is skepticism regarding whether the individual genuinely utilized a cell phone or feigned it to disguise their presence. Sources mentioned that typically, when a phone is in operation, a light illuminates, but in this instance, the phone’s screen stayed dark.