Rameshwaram cafe in Bengaluru to re-open tomorrow

BENGALURU: The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru which witnessed a low-intensity explosion in which 10 people were injured, is set to re-open its doors to visitors tomorrow, March 9.

Raghavendra Rao, owner of Rameswaram Cafe spoke to ANI on the reopening and said, "We are re-opening the cafe tomorrow. At 6.30 am, the cafe will open with the singing of the National Anthem. It is our mantra."

Adding further, the cafe owner said, "We have given all CCTV footage and information to the authorities. We are cooperating with them. We are very thankful to the government for helping us reopen the cafe so soon. NIA will soon bring the culprit before us. We have taken all precautions before reopening. the government and police have guided us on where to install more CCTVs. We will appoint one person just to keep a watch on the premises."

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday announced a bounty of Rs 10 lakh for information about the bomber in connection with the blast at Bengaluru's Rameshwaram cafe. The agency also emphasized that the confidentiality of the informants' identities will be maintained.

The agency also released a picture of the bomber, captured from the CCTV footage while keeping a bag in The Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular eatery in Bengaluru's Brookfield area.

In the picture released by the NIA, the bomber is seen wearing a cap, black pants, and black shoes. In the post, the NIA also stressed that "any information leading to his (bomber) arrest shall be rewarded."

The NIA declared the reward three days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over the probe into the case to the anti-terror agency. The case was handed over to the NIA on March 3, following the visit of an NIA team at the blast site.

The blast took place at the cafe on March 1 in Bengaluru's Whitefield area, where several people were injured following an explosion that occurred during the busy lunch hour. Earlier, the Bengaluru Police had registered a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Substances Act in connection with the explosion at the cafe.

The blast took place at 1 pm on March 1 and the police also found a suspect in the CCTV footage, keeping a bag inside the cafe. The police probe so far has indicated that an IED device with a timer was used to carry out the explosion.