The North News
Jalandhar, April 8
Punjab Police on Thursday arrested two men in connection with a grenade blast outside the residence of former BJP minister Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar, an incident they say was part of a broader conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to destabilise communal harmony in the Indian border state.
The explosion occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, causing minor damage but no casualties. CCTV footage captured a suspect arriving on an e-rickshaw, throwing a grenade, and fleeing the scene. This is 16th such attack in the state in the past five months.
While addressing the press conference, Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla confirmed the arrests on Tuesday, describing the case as part of a wider plot supported by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). “Preliminary investigations have revealed a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistan’s ISI to disrupt communal harmony in Punjab. 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.
Special DGP Arpit Shukla accompanied by IGP Headquarters Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill, said that police teams have also recovered an E-rickshaw used by the accused persons in executing the crime.
The blast damaged a glass partition and vehicles parked outside Kalia’s home. Kalia and his family were inside at the time but were unharmed.
Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Jalandhar Dhanpreet Kaur said that the case is being investigated in coordination with central intelligence agencies to trace the entire terror network and ensure strict action against all conspirators. Randhawa assured the public that security had been stepped up at key locations, including bus terminals and railway stations.
