Punjab: Punjab is witnessing a wave of grenade attacks, with 16 confirmed incidents in the seven months since September 2024. The state and its capital Chandigarh have become the epicentre of these violent incidents, leaving residents in fear and authorities struggling to respond. Most of the attacks targeted police establishments, including abandoned police posts from the terrorism era. But the attack on BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia, which came before an attack on a temple in Amritsar, indicate attempts to disturb communal harmony or polarise communities in the state. While some additional incidents have been reported, the police have denied their authenticity, raising uncertainty over the exact number of incidents. Around 30 youths have been arrested so far for the attacks. The grenades used in these attacks are mainly the Austrian-made Arges model, notorious for being used in the 1993 Mumbai blasts and the 2001 Parliament attack. The Punjab police suspect that these explosives came from old military stockpiles in Pakistan. RDX has also been found in some cases, raising concerns about the complexity of these attacks. A senior police officer described the situation as a “desperate attempt by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and a nexus of gangsters and terrorists”. He revealed that most of the incidents have been solved, but some are still under investigation. The officer highlighted the role of foreign-based conspirators who lure vulnerable youth with money, weapons and the promise of a secure future abroad. “We are fighting a direct battle with the Pakistan-based conspirators on this front. Punjab Police has detected all the cases except two. We have also prevented many incidents which do not become public,” a senior police officer said. The investigation has revealed a complex web of terrorist organisations, including Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), working in connivance with local gangsters and smugglers. Foreign operatives like Happy Pasia and Harvinder Singh Rinda have been implicated, indicating the international dimensions of these networks. Secret communications and fake number plates being used for reconnaissance point to meticulous planning and coordination.
(With inputs from Pawan Jaiswar, Avneet Kaur and Aman Sood)
Police establishments targeted
September 9, 2024: Sector 10, Chandigarh: Grenade hurled at a house allegedly by US-based gangster Harpreet Singh (Happy Pasia) and Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda. Abhijot Singh alias Babbi arrested for involvement, including arranging a bike with fake number plate for reconnaissance.
November 23, 2024: Ajnala Police Station: Improvised Explosive Device (IED) weighing around 1.5 kg planted.
November 29, 2024: Gurbaksh Nagar, Amritsar: Blast near abandoned police check-post at 11 pm.
December 2, 2024: Ansaro Police Chowki, Nawanshahr: Grenade attack reported; grenade did not explode and was defused.
December 4, 2024: Majitha Police Station, Amritsar: Powerful grenade blast shattered windows of police station.
December 13, 2024: Ghania Ke Bangar Police Station, Batala: Grenade hurled near entrance of police station; did not explode.
December 17, 2024: Islamabad Police Station, Amritsar: Powerful blast near police station at 3 am, causing nearby houses to shake. BKI module and gangster Jeevan Fauji were involved.
December 18, 2024: Bakshiwala Police Check-Post, Kalanaur, Gurdaspur: Grenade blast.
December 20, 2024: Wadala Bangar police check-post, Kalanaur, Gurdaspur: Grenade attack.
January 9, 2025: Gumtala police post, Amritsar: Grenade attack.
January 16, 2025: Liquor baron Amandeep Jaintipuria’s house: Grenade attack.
February 3, 2025: Fatehgarh Churian Bypass police post: Grenade hurled.
March 15, 2025: Temple in Amritsar: Property damaged in grenade attack, but no casualties.
March 16, 2025: Raipur Rasoolpur village, Jalandhar: Grenade hurled at YouTuber Roger Sandhu.
April 2, 2025: Badshahpur police post, Patiala: Loud sound and explosion outside police post in the wee hours.
April 8, 2025: BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s house, Jalandhar: Grenade hurled at the gate, causing damage but no casualties.
