Bengaluru, 13 March

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case has detained a man from Ballari district, sources said on Wednesday.

The man is said to have "some resemblance" with the prime suspect, the sources said. "NIA sleuths are interrogating him to know his whereabouts on March one when the blast took place", they said.

The accused wearing a cap and mask placed a low-intensity bomb kept in a backpack in the popular eatery at Brookefield area near Whitefield here that went off injuring nine people on 1 March.

NIA has announced Rs 10 lakh cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the bomber, and also released CCTV pictures and videos of the suspect.

Home Minister G Parameshwara said earlier this week sleuths investigating into the blast have "in a way" identified the suspect, and efforts are on to nab him. He had said the investigators are verifying the suspect's identity and are "getting closer to him." "Investigations are going on, we are closing in, in a way who the person (the suspect) is has been identified. It has to be confirmed and he has to be nabbed."

On the trail of the suspect, the sleuths investigating the case had visited Tumakuru, Ballari, and Kalaburagi districts.