Bengaluru’s popular Rameshwaram Cafe resumed operations on Friday, March 8, a week after a low-intensity IED blast shook the place leaving several injured. Enhanced security measures were implemented ahead of the reopening ceremony at 6 pm on Friday, and the cafe has installed metal detectors and assigned personnel to monitor suspicious activities.
Four ex-servicemen were also hired as security consultants, and additional CCTV cameras were installed across all branches of the cafe.
The founders have dismissed the possibility of business rivalry as the cause behind the incident. Interacting with reporters, Rameshwaram Cafe co-founder Divya Raghavendra Rao said that "hoteliers cannot stoop to such a level as their hands feed the people". "Our objective is to take Indian, especially the south Indian platter, to the global level. This (incident) cannot shake the courage of Indian culture, it cannot shake the spirit of the true Indians. The answer to the attempt to disrupt will be given when the cafe re-opens for the customers on Saturday morning (6 a.m.)," she said
When asked if it was an act of terror, she said that could only be ascertained after the probe.
"We started our journey with a cart in 2012. After the war, there is peace, revolution, and change. The incident has made us strong. Our 1,500 employees will be 'security guards'. Metal detectors have been installed at cafe outlets. There will be supervisors in plain clothes to keep an eye," Divya said.
Divya Raghavendra Rao further said, "We are all set to open branches of the cafe in the US, Dubai, and Singapore. Nothing has changed in our lives. We are not taking additional security. We have come from a humble background. Who is going to harm us?"
The blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe occurred on March 1, where a man entered the premises, purchased Rava idli at the counter, and left behind a bag containing explosives with a timer set for an hour. The explosive device in the bag went off an hour later, injuring ten people.
With inputs from IANS