Police analysing CCTV footage to zero in on suspect who planted bomb

Multiple teams of the city police have been busy analysing footage from CCTV cameras both in The Rameshwaram Cafe, where the bomb went off, and other cameras in the area, to identify the suspect who planted the bomb in the restaurant.

Police sources said that based on inputs from the restaurant’s staff, they have zeroed in on a time window when the suspect may have come to the restaurant and had food.

Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who visited the crime scene, revealed that a suspect around 30 years of age bought a token for rava idli around noon, ate his lunch, left the bag at the hand wash sink and left the restaurant, and the blast happened an hour later.

Sources said that the police have zeroed in on a few suspects who match these descriptions and the time window analysing the CCTV footage at the restaurant. One such suspect is wearing a cap and a mask and his face is not clearly visible in the footage, sources said.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara, who also visited the crime scene, said that the police had leads that the suspect had come to the restaurant on a bus. “All BMTC buses have CCTV cameras. So the police are analysing footage from cameras in buses as well to identify the suspect,” he said.

Meanwhile, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams are analysing the remnants of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the restaurant. The explosive material used is yet to be identified. “We are comparing the timer and detonator device used in the restaurant on Friday to those used in other blasts. This will give us some indicators of the possible involvement of groups,” a senior official said.