Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed on Friday that the blast in Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru's Whitefield, in which nine people were injured, was caused by a low-intensity improvised explosive device.
As per the information I have, it is being claimed someone carried in a bag, the chief minister said.
“CCTV footage from the cafe is being examined. It has come to be known that someone had left a bag at the cafe. The accused in the incident will be punished,” news agency ANI quoted the chief minister as saying.
According to media reports, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will visit the Bengaluru explosion site as per the standard operating procedure (SOP).
Meanwhile, the fire department ruled out the initial suspicion that the blast was caused due to a gas leak and confirmed that a woman's handbag was found at the spot.
It is not clear who the bag belonged to.
CCTV footage is being scanned to check if there was any suspicious movement in and around Rameswaram Cafe in Whitefield, where the blast took place. The area has been cordoned off and Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, and other senior officials are inspecting the premises.
Ruling out about the possibility of any gas cylinder leakage, T.N. Shivashankar, director of Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services department, told news agency PTI, "I along with my team of officers inspected the spot. But there is no sign of any leakage from the gas cylinder. We have checked it. Another LPG gas cylinder inside the kitchen which was used for tea and coffee was also checked but there is no leakage from it as well. There is no sign of gas leakage from any cylinders at the spot as per our initial probe."
"A bag which was lying behind a woman who was sitting with six other customers at the eatery exploded. It is suspected that the explosion could have been caused due to some object in that bag," he added.
Nine people, including seven customers, were injured in the blast. A woman who was sitting near the bag sustained grievous injuries.
