On March 1, 2024, a bomb detonated within the renowned Rameshwaram Cafe located in Karnataka, leaving 10 people injured and causing widespread shock in the vicinity. The explosion, originating from inside the cafe, caught everyone by surprise. Investigators have identified a masked individual, who had purchased food from the cafe, as the primary suspect in the incident. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but authorities suspect deliberate intent in planting the bomb. Against the backdrop, an image of a man with a long beards surfaced on social media, claiming that Abdul Salim is connected with the IED blast at Rameswaram Cafe.
A Facebook user posted the picture with a caption: “Bangalore Rameshwaram Cafe Blast suspect arrested in Maidakuru Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. The police have arrested a man named Abdul Salim, who is believed to be a suspect in the cafe blast case. The accused is said to be a key member of PFI.”
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FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the above claim, and found it to be FALSE.
With a keyword searches on Google — ‘Bangalore blast arrest’, ‘Rameshwaram café blast arrest’, our team traced a report by Deccan Herald, dated March,03,2024, with a headline: “Bengaluru blast: Home minister Parameshwara says breakthrough soon as NIA and NSG join probe.”
According to the article, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru police is leading the primary investigations into the incident.
Amidst the circulating rumours on social media, the report clarified that allegations regarding the arrest of an individual, Abdul Saleem, in connection with the Bengaluru blast were refuted by authorities from Bengaluru and Kadapa police departments. A Kadapa police officer clarified, “Saleem is a Popular Front of India (PFI) leader wanted in a case in Telangana,” adding that he has no connections with the Bengaluru case, and the claims are baseless.
According to the report, Saleem’s detention on March 2 by the NIA was in connection with the Nizamabad PFI case, involving “an anti-India conspiracy by the banned outfit to carry out acts of terror and violence”.
A statement by the Bengaluru Police Commissioner on his official X account, dated March,02,2024, reads: “The investigation of this case has been transferred to the Central Crime Branch. The individuals injured in the incident are in the process of recovery. And, no arrests have been made so far.” Meanwhile, police officials have urged the media to refrain from engaging in speculation.
The Business Standard also released an article indicating that the investigation has been handed over to the NIA, and the suspect remains untraceable.
Therefore, the viral image purportedly depicting the accused arrested in Andhra Pradesh in connection to the IED blast at Rameswaram Cafe in Karnataka is entirely false and baseless.
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