Bengaluru: Explosives found near school after Rameshwaram Cafe blast, cops intensify investigations

Bengaluru Police announced the seizure of explosive materials, including gelatin sticks, from a tractor parked near a school in the city on Tuesday. This discovery followed an IED blast at the well-known Rameshwaram Cafe earlier in the month. The police found the explosives during a routine patrol in the Chikkanayakanahalli area on Sunday night.

The parked tractor, discovered on a plot of land near a private school, contained unregistered explosives such as gelatin sticks and electrical detonators. An FIR has been registered against the tractor owners and an investigation initiated, as per a police spokesperson.

“The explosive materials were seized and an FIR (First Information Report) has been registered against the tractor owners,” said a police spokesperson. “An investigation is underway.”

The discovery of the explosives comes during an ongoing investigation into the March 1 blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe, which left nine people injured. Three weeks after the explosion, authorities are actively searching for the perpetrator.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara indicated last week that investigators had made progress in identifying the suspect, described as a man wearing a cap and mask. Efforts are currently underway to apprehend him, as the search for the culprit continues three weeks post the cafe blast, which injured nine.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is spearheading the investigation, with the support of the Bengaluru police's Central Crime Branch (CCB). A Rs 10 lakh reward has been offered by the NIA for any information leading to the arrest of the cafe bomber, accompanied by the release of the suspect's CCTV footage.