Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe reopens eight days after blast, security tightened

BENGALURU: The Rameshwaram Cafe at Brookefield in the city reopened for customers on Saturday morning, almost eight days after an explosion that left at least ten people injured. The blast took place at the cafe in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area on March 1. On Friday, several religious rituals were conducted at the restaurant.

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: Checking of the customers being done at the Rameshwaram cafe.

The cafe has reopened for people, 8 days after the blast. pic.twitter.com/kwclTU4ksE

— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2024

The famous cafe was made open for the public on Saturday morning amid tight security arrangements as customers stood in a long queue outside the outlet. Before opening the cafe, its co-founder Raghavendra Rao and all staff joined for the national anthem.

The cafe has undergone renovations to ensure a safer environment for customers. “We are taking all the security measures to avoid such incidents in the future. We are strengthening our security team, and are also trying to have a panel of ex-servicemen to train our security guards”, Raghavendra Rao said.

On Friday, Raghavendra Rao said, “We have given all CCTV footage and information to the authorities. We are cooperating with them. We are very thankful to the government for helping us reopen the cafe so soon. The NIA will soon bring the culprit before us. We have taken all precautions before reopening. The government and police have guided us on where to install more CCTVs. We will appoint people to keep watch on the premises”.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday announced a bounty of Rs 10 lakh for information about the bomber in connection with the blast at the Rameshwaram cafe. The agency also emphasized that the confidentiality of the informants’ identities will be maintained. The agency also released a picture of the bomber, captured from the CCTV footage while keeping a bag in the Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular eatery in Bengaluru’s Brookfield area.

In the picture released by the NIA, the bomber is seen wearing a cap, black pants, and black shoes. In the post, the NIA also stressed that “any information leading to his (bomber) arrest shall be rewarded”. The NIA declared the reward three days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over the probe into the case to the anti-terror agency.

The case was handed over to the NIA on March 3, following the visit of an NIA team at the blast site. The blast took place at the cafe on March 1 in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area, where several people were injured following an explosion that occurred during the busy lunch hour.

Earlier, the Bengaluru police had registered a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Substances Act in connection with the explosion at the cafe. The police found a suspect in the CCTV footage, keeping a bag inside the cafe. The police probe so far has indicated that an IED with a timer was used to carry out the explosion. (ANI)