Bengaluru: The Bengaluru police, along with National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) men, collected material and technical evidence from the site of a low-intensity improvised explosive device (LIED) blast on Church Street before a popular eatery Coconut Grove on Sunday night.

NIA officials based in Bengaluru did their rounds of investigations along with Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team on Sunday night, while another NIA team from Delhi arrived at Church Street on Monday noon to inspect the site.

“We are assisting the city police collect material evidence. Primary material evidence collection was done on the same night of the blast, while the secondary and peripheral checks were done in the morning and material evidence was collected.

Our men found shrapnel nails at the spot, on the road and adjacent buildings as far as 20 metres,” said Dr P.R.S. Chetan, Chief Warden, Civil Defence.

Police sources said that there is no clarity on who planted the bomb. They said the CCTV footage shows a duo on a scooter approaching the spot, but it is not clear whether they planted the bomb.

In the other footage, two men are seen speaking to each and looking at the blast spot, but the footage is not clear.

The investigating teams have collected CCTV footage from multiple commercial establishments near the blast site.

Nine mobile towers in the vicinity have been marked for analyzing call detail records or message exchanges before and after the blast. Mobile towers on SNB building, Church Street, Brigade Road, Shivajinagar and five other remote mobile towers have been marked.

“We have not yet detained or arrested anyone, but we are questioning many people who were around the spot on Sunday night,” said Mr Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), who is heading the Special Investigation Team probing the incident.

“We have dispatched different teams within the city, across the state and also to neighbouring states, including Maharashtra,” he said.

Shops open on Church St
Most of the commercial establishments on Church Street remained open and were functioning normally, except those located close to Coconut Grove as the police cordoned off and barricaded the stretch from both sides to get vital evidence. Except the police officials, no one was allowed to enter the area.

The city police intensified security deployment in and around MG Road with a policeman deputed every 100 metres. The police deployment will remain till the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

“The police will also erect more than 10 watch towers on Brigade Road and MG Road. Policemen in plainclothes will also patrol the area,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division) Sandeep Patil.

“Police personnel will also be deployed near High Grounds and in and around Vidhana Soudha,” he said. Security has been upped at vital installations like railway stations, bus-stands, Metro stations and other places.