NIA Announces Rs 10 Lakh Reward For Info on Bengaluru Cafe Blast Suspect

NIA Announces Rs 10 Lakh Reward For Info on Bengaluru Cafe Blast SuspectThe National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information regarding the suspect involved in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

“This grab makes the face quiet clear. The suspect has taken off the mask when the CCTV captured him. This could be NIA’s best shot at identifying the accused,” a source told CNN-News18.

The central probe agency, in a social media post on X, shared a picture of the suspect captured on CCTV moments before the bomb exploded in the popular cafe. The individual is seen wearing a grey shirt, black pants, and a beige cap, using his hand to cover his face.

“NIA announces cash reward of 10 lakh rupees for information about bomber in Rameshwaram Cafe blast case of Bengaluru. Informants identity will be kept confidential,” the NIA wrote.

On Monday, the NIA took over the probe into the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. Officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed to CNN-News18 that the case has been transferred to the NIA, and a new FIR has been registered.

‘Golden hour is lost’

“The golden hour to catch a suspect is usually 24-48 hours after the incident when he or she is trying to escape. Police usually scan CCTV footage of previous days, zero in on some pattern of the suspect’s movement, residence, and manage to nab him. In this case, that golden hour is lost,” a senior police officer told CNN-News18.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar had expressed confidence that the bomb suspect would be caught swiftly since he was captured on CCTV at more than one place.

On Monday, CCTV footage surfaced, capturing the suspect spending nine minutes inside the popular cafe before leaving. The footage shows the suspect, wearing sunglasses, a mask, and a baseball hat, walking from a bus stand towards the cafe in Brookfield at 11.34 am on Friday, talking on a mobile phone.

According to the footage, the suspect visited the cafe during lunch, purchasing a coupon for Rava idli. However, he left the premises without consuming the idli, leaving behind a bag containing an improvised explosive device (IED).

In the footage, the suspect is seen deboarding a Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus. Another clip captures the suspect leaving the cafe hastily at 11.43 am.

The CCTV evidence suggests that the suspect, identified as 28 to 30 years old, spent only nine minutes at The Rameshwaram Cafe.

Sources told CNN-News18 that the local police and NIA sleuths probed even the jailed Shimoga module suspects to check if the jailed ISIS module youngsters knew the suspect or had any leads about him.

The explosion at the renowned cafe on March 1 injured at least nine people. The blast occurred around 1 pm at the cafe’s Whitefield branch in the Rajajinagar area. CM Siddaramaiah, who visited the cafe on Saturday, had announced that the state government would cover the expenses of the injured persons’ treatment.