Rameshwaram Cafe case linked to 2022 Mangaluru cooker blast, says D K Shivakumar

Bengaluru police say no arrests made yet, case handed over to CCB.

Bengaluru: The explosion at Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe appears to be linked to the 2022 Mangaluru cooker blast, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar stated on Saturday.

"According to our police officers, there appears to be a link between this (Rameshwaram Cafe blast) and the Mangaluru case. The materials used such as the timer...there's a link. That's why Mangaluru and Shivamogga police officers have come here (Bengaluru)," he told reporters outside his residence.

He was responding to a question on whether the government has any clue on who was behind the blast in the popular eatery.

The cooker blast was "Islamic State-sponsored" and had the involvement of a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, according to investigators.

In November 2022, an improvised explosive device (IED) kept inside a pressure cooker accidentally went off while being taken in an auto-rickshaw. Investigations revealed that the IED was meant to be planted at the Kadri Manjunatha Temple.

Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru development minister, said his government had given the police a free hand to crack the Rameshwaram Cafe case.

"We have asked the police to look into all angles. We won't meddle. Seven to eight teams are working on this," he said, adding that the suspect's face was visible in CCTV footage.

"There are cameras all over Bengaluru. The suspect boarded a bus (to come to Rameshwaram Cafe). We are checking how he went back," he added.

Shivakumar insisted that there was no reason for Bengalureans to panic.

"It was a low-intensity blast. It was locally assembled. The impact was 8-10 ft, but the sound was loud," he said.

"Police will come out with a clean and fair investigation. We are very serious. We won't spare anyone. This is about the state's honour. We are least bothered about the BJP's politics."

Shivakumar denied any intelligence failure. "No, we can't blame anybody like that. Bengaluru is a huge city. The (suspect) came like a common man and walked inside with a bag on his shoulder. We can't identify who is doing what type of criminal activities," he said.

While some unconfirmed reports suggested that some suspects had been picked up for questioning, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said no arrests had been made. The case has been handed over to the Bengaluru police's Central Crime Branch (CCB), he added.