Bengaluru cafe blast accused visuals traced, police launch manhunt

Bengaluru, March 2 (IANS) Karnataka Police have traced the visuals of the suspected bomber in the Bengaluru IED explosion case.

The police after obtaining the CCTV footage of the suspected bomber -- with backpack allegedly carrying a bomb -- have launched a manhunt for the accused in Mangaluru city, neighbouring Kerala and in Tamil Nadu.

The footage shows the alleged bomber wearing a white cap, grey shirt and black pants, carrying a dish at the Rameshwaram cafe before the blast.

In another video, the accused bomber is seen walking hurriedly on the road towards the cafe with the backpack.

The police said that they will nab the accused soon.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will also chair a high-level meeting to discuss the security situation of the state.

On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that the accused would be arrested in a few hours.

Karnataka State Police Chief Alok Mohan has said that central agencies the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) have been informed about the incident.

Sources said that the national agencies are assisting in the investigation.

The HAL police station has registered the case under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 (UAPA) and the Explosive Substances Act.

The incident took place at the Rameshwaram Cafe on the Information Technology Park Limited (ITPL) Road in the Whitefield area between 12.50 p.m. and 1 p.m.

At least 10 persons, including hotel staff and customers, were injured in the incident.