The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has assumed control of the investigation into an explosion at a building under construction on Jarmiya Road in Pulakeshinagar, Bengaluru. The agency’s team has gathered preliminary information regarding the incident, with sources indicating that a crude bomb was used and the act may be linked to terrorists. Samples recovered from the site have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and a report is expected to be submitted to the NIA and city police shortly.
The incident occurred on October 20, the day of Ayudha Puja, at 2:30 p.m. when suspicious objects exploded in a five-story building under construction. The blast happened while a battery was being switched on, injuring security guard Allaudeen and painter Suraj. Both were admitted to Bowring Hospital and have since recovered, though sources note they have provided conflicting statements. The building is being constructed by an entrepreneur from Ramamurthi Nagar, with commercial shops on the first two floors and residential units on the upper levels.
According to sources, Allaudeen stated during interrogation that an anonymous caller informed him of a parcel containing a battery model. He instructed Suraj, who was on the fifth floor, to come down and open the package. The explosion occurred immediately after the switch was turned on. Investigators are currently tracing the identity of the caller and the backgrounds of both injured individuals, suspecting that terrorists may have used Allaudeen to plan a crime in the city.
Authorities are also examining potential links between this explosion and recent arrests in Karnataka. Mamatajool Mulik, a resident of Nawabpur in Hooghli district, West Bengal, was arrested in Kalaburagi on October 19 for allegedly maintaining social media connections with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. Mohammed Sameer was arrested in Malagatti village in Kalaburagi, and another suspect was detained in Doddaballapura. Sources confirmed that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used in the Bengaluru incident.
Experts from the FSL, the Bomb Disposal Squad, and the Counter Terrorism Wing inspected the scene, and a case has been registered at Pulakeshinagar Police Station. The building owner and contractor have been questioned. Sources revealed that the crude bomb utilized three batteries, and the timer, wires, and batteries have been seized and sent to the FSL. Allaudeen, from Assam, had joined as security staff two weeks prior, while Suraj and his brother Abhikumar from Uttar Pradesh had been painting the building since October 18, residing in a rented house in Babusapalya.
