Pulakeshinagar Blast: Bengaluru Police arrests 3 people, rules out terror angle

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh detailed the multi-agency investigation that led to the arrests within 72 hours of the incident, which had occurred on the eve of the final day of the Dusshera festival.

"Last week, an incident took place within the Pulakeshinagar police station limits. A bomb blast occurred in an under-construction house. In connection with that incident, three persons have been arrested," Commissioner Singh said.

"Initially, according to the first reports, our police had no clues regarding the motive or the angle behind the incident. Moreover, it occurred just the night before the final day of the Dasara festival. After looking into every angle, it was finally established that the incident was the result of personal rivalry," he stated.

Detailing how the incident unfolded at the site, the Commissioner stated, "The perpetrators delivered a parcel to the security guard at the site. According to the investigation so far, that security guard was the actual target. However, the parcel was opened by another worker who was with him. Unfortunately, that worker sustained more serious injuries. The intended target also sustained minor injuries, but because the other worker opened the parcel, he suffered serious injuries; he is currently recovering in the hospital."

Elaborating on the motive and background of the accused, Singh stated that all three accused and the target hail from the same village in Assam.

"All three accused persons, as well as the target, are originally from Assam and hail from the same village. We verified this with the Assam Police. Back in their hometown, they had personal disputes over financial matters, land issues, and a personal domestic matter within the family, which we cannot disclose publicly. Harbouring this grudge, the three accused conspired together against the individual with whom one of them had issues. Taking the help of the other two, they planned and executed this targeted attack," he said.

Explaining the scale of the probe, the Police Commissioner said that the perpetrators had used methods to mislead investigators, which initially made the case challenging.

"More than 10 of our teamsincluding ACPs, Inspectors, staff, and officers working togetheramounting to over 78 personnel, and over 100 people including sister agencies, worked relentlessly. Staff and officers from across the City Police, especially the East Zone, along with specialised agencies like the Internal Security Division (ISD), Anti-Terror Cell (ATC), and Central Crime Branch (CCB), all contributed. We also took assistance from Central Government agencies, as well as the Assam Police and Raichur Police," Singh said.

He added, "In total, an average of around 100 people were interrogated in this case. Specifically, more than 1,500 CCTV footages were scanned, along with extensive technical analysis. Combining technical analysis and CCTV footage examination, the investigation reached a definite conclusion."

During the media interaction, Commissioner Singh shared further details regarding the roles of the accused and the assembly of the explosive device.

Speaking about the role of the accused, he said, "Two accused persons were apprehended here in Bengaluru. The third accused came from Maski, assembled it here, placed it, and returned. He was arrested in Maski. The main accused assembled and prepared the explosive device in Maski. The two accomplices in Bengaluru supported him locallyguiding him to the location, showing him the route, and convincing the targeted victim to accept and open the parcel."

Regarding the device mechanism and materials, Singh added, "He (the main accused) works as an electrical worker. We recovered significant materials from his residence and traced where each component was purchased. It was a very basic, rudimentary explosive device... We recovered pellets, batteries, and basic firecrackers from which gunpowder was extracted. He created a circuit with a push button. That is why the victim was repeatedly told to press the button. When the button was pressed, the circuit was completed, and it exploded."

As far as the transportation and training were concerned, he further stated, "He carried it by bus. There was no outside training. They have studied only up to the 8th standard... Furthermore, his internet browsing history revealed a severe addiction to researching crime and bomb assembly methods They lacked financial resources. Conducting a trial run involves costs, and they were already facing severe financial constraints. No evidence of any trial run has been found."

The Commissioner also issued two specific advisories to the public stemming from observations made during the investigation.

"In this case, mobile phones belonging to third parties were used. The accused borrowed phones from unsuspecting bystanders under the pretext: 'My phone is dead/not working, please lend me your phone for a minute to make an urgent call.' We urge citizens to exercise caution and verify who they are handing their mobile phones to, as it can inadvertently lead to trouble," Singh cautioned.

Additionally, he stated that the police will proactively audit coverage to eliminate blind spots ("shadow areas") and enforce the mandatory installation and maintenance of CCTV cameras under the Public Safety Act across establishments, public spaces, and BMTC buses.

In appreciation of cracking the case within 72 hours, the DGP and IGP, along with the Bengaluru City Police, announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh for the investigating team. (ANI)