The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday handed over the investigation of the blast that took place at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The anti-terror agency has registered the case.

At least 10 people were injured in a low-intensity explosion that occurred at the Brookfield outlet of the Rameshwaram Cafe on Friday (March 1). Assuring that the accused would be arrested soon, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara earlier said that they had secured 40-50 CCTV footage of the blast.

"Several teams have been formed. An in-depth investigation is going on and some traces have been found. Some information has been gathered from CCTV footage. There is information that he (suspect) had come by bus. So, 26 buses have been verified at Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC)," news agency PTI quoted Parameshwara as saying.

Meanwhile, refuting the claims of business rivalry, the Rameshwaram Cafe owner said, "The Hotelier fraternity are like my brothers & sisters". He was responding to the Home Minister's claims that business rivalry might have led to the blast.

The Karnataka Home Minister said that the investigating agencies probing the cafe blast are exploring multiple angles including business rivalry and attempts to terrorize the city ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The Minister held a high-level meeting with senior officials to review the probe.

Source: India Today