The Punjab Police on Tuesday announced the arrest of two individuals, including a Pakistan-based man, in connection with the grenade attack outside senior BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s residence in Jalandhar.
Describing the incident as a “major conspiracy” to disturb communal harmony, a top police official confirmed that the case was cracked within 12 hours of the crime.
Addressing a press conference, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla identified Zeeshan Akhtar and Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti as the key conspirators behind the attack.
He said the police are investigating their suspected links with the banned Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
Shukla further stated, “It was a major conspiracy of Pakistan’s ISI. Zeeshan Akhtar, who is an associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and (Pakistani gangster) Shahzad Bhatti, had hatched a conspiracy.”
He added that the police have recovered the e-rickshaw used in the attack and are conducting raids in coordination with central agencies.
“Preventive measures are also being taken,” he said.
What went down
The grenade was hurled outside Kalia’s residence around 1 am on Tuesday.
CCTV footage shows the attacker arriving in an e-rickshaw, passing the house once, taking a U-turn, and then throwing the grenade before fleeing.
Manoranjan Kalia, a former Punjab minister, was inside his home at the time but was unharmed. The blast damaged an aluminum partition, shattered glass windows, and affected an SUV and a motorcycle parked in the courtyard.
Speaking to the media, Kalia said, “There was a blast at around 1 am... I was sleeping, and I thought that it was the sound of thunder...Later, I was informed that a blast had taken place...after this, I sent my gunman to the police station...CCTV is being investigated; forensic experts are also present here.”
Similar incidents
An ANI report, citing official sources, also referred to the incident as a “cross-border planned attack.”
This is the first known instance of a grenade attack targeting a high-profile political figure’s residence in Punjab. Previous incidents over the past four to five months have involved explosions at police posts in Amritsar and Gurdaspur, and more recently, a blast outside a temple in Amritsar last month.
“The case has been solved in a scientific manner,” said ADGP Shukla, affirming the Punjab Police’s resolve to maintain law and order and its swift response in tackling such threats.
(With inputs from PTI)
