Five individuals linked to a module backed by Pakistan's ISI have been arrested in connection with the blast outside the Punjab BJP headquarters in Chandigarh, said Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Saturday.
The Counter-Intelligence wing of Punjab Police, working with Chandigarh Police, solved the Chandigarh grenade attack case, DGP Yadav said. Police recovered a hand grenade and a .30 bore Zigana pistol with ammunition from their possession.
The arrested have been identified as Balwinder Lal alias Shami of Majari village in SBS Nagar, Jasvir Singh alias Jassi of Bharapur village in SBS Nagar, Charanjit Singh alias Channi of Sujawalpur village in SBS Nagar, Rubal Chauhan of Thana village in Shimla, and Mandeep alias Abhijot Sharma of Dhuri in Sangrur.
According to DGP Yadav, preliminary investigations show the module was backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and operated under directions from handlers in Portugal and Germany.
"The accused were part of a structured network involving multiple operatives to execute the attack," he said. The DGP added that two key perpetrators have also been identified, and investigations are continuing to trace all links in the case.
Assistant Inspector General, State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar, Deepak Pareek said, "The investigation further revealed that the accused had transported a consignment containing hand grenades, arms and live cartridges. This consignment was circulated through multiple operatives before reaching the final perpetrators."
He added, "Acting on the instructions of a handler based in Portugal, the accused coordinated the delivery and execution of the attack. Police teams are currently conducting raids to apprehend the absconding individuals involved in the incident."
An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Arms Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station SSOC SAS Nagar.
The explosion occurred around 5 pm on Wednesday when a suspected crude explosive device was hurled near the office. No casualties were reported. The Punjab BJP headquarters is in Sector 37, Chandigarh.
An unverified video that surfaced on social media shows a man pulling the pin from a blue grenade and throwing it while another person records the act. The duo fled just before the blast.
Their faces were not visible in the 10-second video, and its authenticity has not been verified. CCTV footage also shows suspects running across the road immediately after the explosion.
In a separate unverified social media post attributed to Sukhjinder Singh Babbar of the banned Babbar Khalsa International, the outfit claimed responsibility for the incident.
