 "Bengaluru cafe blast case: NIA apprehends one suspect from Ballari")
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on March 13, detained a suspect in the Bengaluru cafe blast case, according to media reports. The suspect, identified as Shabbir, was apprehended from Karnataka's Ballari district.
At least 10 people were injured in the bomb blast at the popular eatery in Bengaluru on March 1. The police had launched a probe after it emerged that an earlier suspected gas leak was not the cause of the explosion.
According to reports, the suspect had left behind a bag that carried the timer-based low-intensity improvised explosive device (IED) that resulted in the blast during lunchtime around 1 pm. Multiple CCTV footage from the area was examined to furnish more information, revealing the suspect's description.
Officials believed that a man in his late 30s, seen wearing a mask, cap, and glasses, was the person behind the blast. Subsequently, the NIA announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information about the prime suspect.
Following the incident, the Bengaluru police had registered a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Substances Act. The officials were probing multiple angles, including business rivalry, impending Lok Sabha elections, and a possible terror angle. The city police had also detained four people for questioning.
Just four days after the blast incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, and the state Home Minister G Parameshwara received an email bomb threat on March 5. The email had threatened to blow up buses, temples, and public areas throughout Karnataka if the perpetrators' demand of $2.5 million payment was not met.