A Terrifying Blast Rocks Bengaluru Café
Patrons and staff at the popular Rameshwaram Café in Bengaluru got more than they bargained for during lunchtime on March 1st. Just past 1 pm, a loud explosion ripped through the bustling eatery, sending people diving for cover amid billowing smoke and debris.
“It was utterly chaotic,” recalled eyewitness Sujata Gupta. “One minute, we were enjoying our meals, and the next, there was a huge boom. Glasses and plates flew as everyone screamed and ran for the exits.”
The improvised explosive device, concealed somewhere on the ground floor, inflicted serious injuries on at least 10 people inside. Shattered glass and other shrapnel wounded customers and employees huddled by the windows and doors.
Paramedics rushed the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment of cuts, burns, and possible blast injuries. Police immediately sealed off the area to begin their investigation as onlookers watched in shocked dismay.
No one has claimed responsibility for the heinous act yet, but it didn’t take long for India’s premier counter-terrorism agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), to get involved. Hoping to identify the perpetrator immediately, the NIA offers a 10 lakh rupee reward for credible tips.
They released surveillance footage showing a person of interest – a figure clad in cap, mask, and glasses – entering the café minutes before the explosion. “We urge anyone with any information about this individual to contact us immediately,” said an NIA spokesperson. “Your identity will be kept strictly confidential.”
As the investigation intensifies with NIA at the helm, questions linger over how such a brazen assault could occur in an urban area thought to be relatively safe. And for those directly impacted, the traumatic effects of this terrorist attack on an ordinary weekday will not fade anytime soon.
