NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained one Shabbir from Ballary in Karnataka in connection with Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, sources said. NIA’s Bengaluru unit is questioning the suspect at its office based on inputs gathered against him over his travel history. However, it is yet to be ascertained whether he is the same man caught on CCTV. The NIA’s move comes days after the agency on March 6 announced a bounty of Rs 10 lakh for information about the bomber in connection with the Cafe blast case. The agency then emphasised that the confidentiality of the informants’ identities would be maintained. The agency had also released a picture of the bomber whose video was captured in the CCTV footage while keeping a bag in the Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular eatery in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area. In the picture released by the NIA, the bomber is wearing a cap, black pants and black shoes. In the post, the NIA had also stressed that “any information leading to his (bomber) arrest shall be rewarded”. The agency has also requested to pass on the information through mail at “info.blr.nia@gov.in”, as well as two contact numbers– 080-29510900 and 8904241100. The NIA had declared the reward three days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over a probe of 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. Over half a dozen people got injured after a low-intensity blast took place in The Rameshwaram Cafe. 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 blast took place at 1 pm on March 1 and the police had also found a suspect in the CCTV footage, keeping a bag inside the cafe. The police probe so far indicated that an IED device with a timer was used to carry out the explosion.
