BENGALURU, 7 MARCH

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Tuesday carried out investigations in Ballari City in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast case in Whitefield.

More than 10 officers fanned out across the City in the early hours of Thursday. It is said that the alleged bomber had travelled to Tumakuru from Bengaluru after carrying out the explosion and later he arrived in Ballari city.

Another NIA team had reached a Tumakuru bus stand where the suspect was said to have been seen. The officials have obtained CCTV footage from strategic vantage points in Tumakuru. According to the investigations, the accused had boarded a bus travelling towards Gokarna from Mantralayam in Andhra Pradesh. It is suspected that the bomber was in Bhatkal town in Uttara Kannada district.

The report highlights the bomber had gone to Sujatha Circle here in the City. NIA on Tuesday took into custody Naveed a resident of Mangaluru, Syeded Khail a resident of Bengaluru and Bijju a resident of Dakshina Kannada district as part of the investigations. NIA on Wednesday released the photo of a man suspected of carrying out the explosion and announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for providing information/ clues about him.

Home Minister G Parameshwara earlier had said that NIA has got a vital clue in this case. "We have got more important leads, as to the direction in which he (suspect) has gone and him having changed his clothes. Some information cannot be revealed. We have got good leads in the last couple of days. I feel that he will be nabbed at the earliest," Parameshwara told reporters.

Rameshwaram Cafe to reopen tomorrow

A week after a blast at Rameshwaram Cafe in Brookefield here, the popular eatery is set to reopen the branch on Friday on the auspicious occasion of Shivaratri. According to the co-founders, Divya and Raghavendra Rao, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy DK Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara are set to attend the reopening function at 6 pm.