A powerful explosion shattered the silence of the night as a hand grenade was hurled at the residence of senior BJP leader and Punjab’s former Cabinet Minister Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar in the early hours of Tuesday. The audacious attack — carried out barely 100 metres from a police station and just 50 metres from a 24x7 PCR post — not only jolted a high-security zone in the city but also exposed the hand of Pakistan’s ISI-backed terror syndicates operating through a nexus of gangsters and local recruits. The blast, which occurred when Kalia and his family were asleep, sent shockwaves across Punjab’s political spectrum, triggering concerns over rising militant threats.
 
The Punjab Police, moving with swift precision, claimed a breakthrough in less than 12 hours of the blast, arresting two accused — Ravinder Kumar of Gada Subhana Road and Satish alias Kaka alias Lakka from Bhargav Camp — both residents of Jalandhar. Investigators revealed that the attack was the handiwork of a terror module orchestrated by Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti and his Indian associate Zeeshan Akhtar, a close confidant of dreaded gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
 
The entire attack was captured on CCTV, showcasing a meticulously planned execution. The assailant, riding in an unsuspecting e-rickshaw, approached Kalia’s residence near Shastri Market around 2 am, lobbed a grenade inside the premises, and fled the scene before the explosion ripped through the gate, damaging a partition wall, a bathroom, the kitchen window, and Kalia’s SUV parked outside. At the time of the explosion, Kalia, his sister, her children, and security personnel were asleep inside.
 
Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, addressing the media in Chandigarh, confirmed the ISI’s involvement in what he termed a “deliberate attempt to destabilize Punjab and ignite communal unrest”.
 
“The plot was masterminded by Zeeshan Akhtar, a close associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and Pakistan-based ISI-sponsored gangster Shahzad Bhatti,” he said, while not ruling out the possible links of the accused with Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) mastermind Harwinder Singh alias Rinda and gangster Happy Passia.
 
“The ISI continues to exploit criminal gangs in Punjab to carry out proxy attacks intended to disturb peace and create panic. This was not a random act of violence but part of a larger blueprint,” said Special DGP Shukla. He added that forensic teams have seized evidence from the crime scene, while the recovered e-rickshaw used in the attack is now part of the ongoing probe.
 
Special DGP Shukla said that Punjab Police teams, along with Central Government agencies, worked round the clock to crack the case. “A big operation to catch several culprits is under way, due to which further details cannot be shared. Police parties are raiding many places,” he said, asserting that these attacks were not an intelligence failure.
 
Kalia, recounting the terrifying moment, said that he was jolted out of sleep by a loud blast. “At first, I thought the transformer outside had exploded. But then neighbours began shouting that smoke was rising from my house. I ran outside to see the damage,” he said. He added that his security personnel tried calling the police but received no response, following which his gunman rushed to the police station to report the incident.
 
The former BJP state president hit out at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government for the deteriorating law and order. “This isn’t just an attack on me or the BJP — this is an attack on the peace of Punjab. We are sitting on a ticking time bomb if such elements are not uprooted,” he said.
 
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar also lambasted the AAP Government, accusing it of gross negligence. “This is a direct fallout of their indifference to growing gangsterism and cross-border terror links. How can terrorists attack a former Cabinet Minister’s house located just metres away from a police station?” Jakhar asked at a press briefing in Jalandhar. He further revealed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had personally spoken to Kalia to enquire about his well-being and assured full support from the Centre.
 
Meanwhile, protests erupted across Jalandhar as BJP workers took to the streets, accusing the state government of compromising public safety and demanding a high-level probe by central agencies. They also called for the immediate restoration of full security to all BJP leaders.
 
The modus operandi of the attack further underscored the sinister collaboration between criminal and terror networks. According to police sources, the e-rickshaw driver became an unintentional accomplice after being picked up near Shastri Market. The accused boarded the rickshaw pretending to hail a ride. Just before passing Kalia’s house, one of the assailants discreetly pulled out the grenade and hurled it into the compound before fleeing with the same driver, who later abandoned the vehicle near the railway station.
 
Law enforcement agencies are now probing the financial and communication trails of the arrested accused. Zeeshan Akhtar, a known criminal with past charges of robbery and murder, was reportedly released from prison in mid-2024. Intelligence inputs suggested that he has since been working to revive terror networks across Punjab, acting under the guidance of Pakistan-based handlers. Shahzad Bhatti, a self-styled gangster, had earlier claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on a Jalandhar-based influencer’s residence in March this year.
 
This is not the first such instance in Punjab in recent months. Earlier this year, explosions were reported outside police posts in Amritsar and Gurdaspur, and a temple in Amritsar was targeted just weeks ago. These coordinated incidents, security experts believed, point toward a systematic effort to destabilize the state using local gangsters as foot soldiers.
 
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said that the case is now being jointly handled by Punjab Police and central intelligence agencies. “The forensic samples are being analyzed, and more arrests are likely in the coming days. We are committed to identifying every link in this terror chain,” she said.
 
7 Months – 16 Grenade Attacks

•         Sept 9, 2024: Sector 10, Chandigarh – Grenade hurled at a house. Linked to US-based gangster Happy Passia and Pak-based terrorist Rinda
•         Nov 23, 2024: Ajnala Police Station – IED planted near police premises
•         Nov 29, 2024: Gurbaksh Nagar, Amritsar – Blast near abandoned police post
•         Dec 2, 2024: Ansaro Police Post, Nawanshahr – Failed grenade attack; device defused
•         Dec 4, 2024: Majitha Police Station, Amritsar – Grenade shattered police station windows
•         Dec 13, 2024: Ghania Ke Bangar PS, Batala – Failed grenade attack; device did not detonate
•         Dec 17, 2024: Islamabad PS, Amritsar – Pre-dawn blast; linked to BKI and gangster Jeevan Fauji
•         Dec 18, 2024: Bakshiwala Check Post, Kalanaur (Gurdaspur) – Grenade explosion
•         Dec 20, 2024: Wadala Bangar Check Post, Kalanaur – Another grenade attack
•         Jan 9, 2025: Gumtala Chowki, Amritsar – Police post targeted
•         Jan 16, 2025: Amritsar – Grenade thrown at liquor trader Amandeep Jaintipuria’s house
•         Feb 3, 2025: Fatehgarh Churrian bypass Chowki – Police post attacked with grenade
•         Mar 15, 2025: Amritsar Temple – Blast caused property damage
•         Mar 16, 2025: Raipur Rasoolpur, Jalandhar – Grenade attack on YouTuber Rozer Sandhu
•         Apr 2, 2025: Badshahpur Police Post, Patiala – Early morning blast under probe
•         Apr 8, 2025: Jalandhar – Grenade hurled at BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s residence