B’luru building blast suspected to be IED explosion; K’taka Minister urges caution
Bengaluru: The explosion at an under-construction building in Bengaluru’s Pulakeshinagar is suspected to have been caused by an improvised explosive device (IED), even as Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday urged people not to believe rumours and said the authorities would have to wait for laboratory reports to establish the cause.
The blast occurred around noon on October 20 at a building owned by Abdul Rehman. Two workers, identified as Suraj and Allauddin, were injured in the incident. One of them reportedly lost a finger.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kharge said the investigation was underway and that the police were examining whether the explosion was caused by an IED or a chemical reaction.
“The matter is still being investigated. A preliminary investigation is underway, and the incident has been under investigation since last night. Let the laboratory reports come in. Before that, we should not pay heed to rumours,” he said.
Asked about the materials recovered from the site and whether the incident was a cause for concern, Kharge said, “There has been a blast, and that is all I can say.”
He said the authorities would assess the situation as the investigation progressed and the reports became available. Asked about the sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) invoked in the case, he said no specific sections had been registered so far and that the police had taken up a suo motu case.
Meanwhile, police have sent all materials seized from the explosion site to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination.
Preliminary investigations are also examining the possibility that a suspected explosive device had been placed at the site two days before the explosion. However, the nature of the blast, who may have placed the suspected device and the motive behind the incident remain unclear.
The Pulakeshinagar police have registered a suo motu case and are investigating the incident. The timing of the explosion during the Vijaya Dashami festivities has also drawn the attention of the authorities.
The police are awaiting the FSL report to establish the cause of the explosion and determine the nature of the materials recovered from the site.
Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.