NIA detains alleged accomplice of main suspect in Bengaluru café blast

Days after the two CCTV clips were released by the National Investigation Agency showing a suspect in the Bengaluru Rameshwaram Café blast case, authorities have detained an individual who reportedly engaged with the suspect in Ballari on March 1.

On Wednesday, the anti-terror agency, who took over the case on March 3,  detained the man in connection with the blast who is identified as Syed Shabbir.

According to the initial probe, CCTV footage showed the suspect at the Ballari bus stand around eight hours after the blast, at 8:58 pm on March 1. 

Moreover, on March 6, the NIA detained four individuals associated with a Ballari-based “ISIS module,” as documented in NIA records publicly available.

The March 1 explosion which happened at around 1 pm, injured 10 people. As per the initial probe, the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) containing a mix of easily available explosives was kept in a tiffin box bag wrapped in fibrous material.

The owner of the café, Divya Raghavendra Rao had said that the suspect was seen having rava idli before leaving his bag in the restaurant, reported the NDTV.

The investigative trail of the cafe blast suspect has been reconstructed through CCTV footage, detailing his escape route via two intra-state government buses to reach Ballari, and subsequently, to an undisclosed destination, as indicated by police sources, reported Financial Express.

The first video shows the suspect getting on a Volvo bus near the café. About 3 kilometers away, he changed his clothes, leaving behind a cap and shirt, and put on a casual T-shirt.

Another video shows him on a state bus leaving Bengaluru around 3 pm on the day of the blast, heading to Tumkur, which is about 60 km away. 

He was seen without a cap and in new clothes on this bus, and it is believed he got off before reaching Tumkur. Six hours later, the CCTV footage shows him again at the Ballari bus stand at 8.58 pm.