BJP Demands NIA Probe After IED Blast Rocks Popular Bengaluru Café [Watch]

Bangalore: At least nine people were injured after an explosion rocked Rameshwaram Cafe in Whitefield area here on Friday.

The injured, including hotel staff and some customers, have been shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed that the blast was caused by a low-intensity improvised explosive device (IED) which was kept inside the bag of a customer.

Siddaramaiah informed reporters that closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage is being thoroughly examined to get insights into the incident.

“A man was seen keeping a bag in the café. It is not a high-intensity blast but an improvised one,” the CM said.

The BJP asked the Congress-headed state government to hand over investigation of the case to central agency.

“For the safety and security of the people of Karnataka, we urge the state government to immediately hand over the case to NIA,” said Karnataka BJP chief B Y Vijayendra.

The blast at the popular café occurred around lunch hour at 1 pm, when crowds from nearby offices gather.

“At 1.08 pm today, the fire department received a call about LPG leakage fire in the cafe. When our officers and teams reached the spot, there was no fire or flame. 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,” TN Shivashankar, Director of Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services department, told PTI.

CCTV cameras showed a cloud of smoke, a man lying on the floor, and panicked customers and staff members rushing out as the blast took place.

Watch the blast as captured by CCTV, obtained by ANI through police:

A forensic team bomb disposal squad visited the blast site as part of the state government’s probe.

According to officials, two staff members and seven customers were among those seriously injured.