Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe Blast Suspect Possibly Linked to ISIS Ballari Module
In a recent development concerning the investigation into the Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe blast, reports are emerging of a potential link between the suspect and the Ballari ISIS module. Citing official sources, similarities in the modus operandi have been identified, particularly in the assembly of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the execution of the blast.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had previously arrested eight terrorists associated with the ISIS Ballari module in December last year. The raids, conducted across multiple locations in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi, resulted in the seizure of explosive raw materials, sharp-edged weapons, unaccounted cash, and incriminating documents.
The Bengaluru blast appears to share commonalities with the lone wolf attack in the Mangaluru cooker blast case. The suspect, captured on CCTV footage at Rameshwaram Cafe, was seen entering the establishment disguised as a customer. The materials used in the explosive device have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for further examination.
Apart from the ISIS Ballari module, connections to Lashkar-e-Taiba’s module led by terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda are also under scrutiny. Tunda had been acquitted in a terrorist bombing case in Rajasthan just a day before the Bengaluru attack.
Furthermore, a potential link to the Popular Front of India (PFI) module, a SIMI offshoot based in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoband, is being investigated. Security agencies express concern over ISIS’s increasing influence in Karnataka, while the PFI struggles to reorganize due to financial constraints and monitoring by central agencies.
Several suspects have reportedly been detained by the police, although the arrest of the accused has not been confirmed. The suspect is believed to have fled towards Tamil Nadu.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has re-registered the case and initiated a thorough probe. The incident occurred on March 1 at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area during the busy lunch hour, resulting in over half a dozen injuries.
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