26 witnesses get court protection in grenade attack case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here has declared 26 witnesses in the Sector 10 grenade attack case as protected witnesses.

The court, in its order, said the copies of statements of these witnesses as well as protected documents shall not be supplied during the trial. The court passed the order on an application moved by the NIA for the protection of witnesses as per Section 44 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 read with Section 17 of NIA, 2018.

The court has also started proclamation proceedings against Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Shamsher Singh, alias Shera, after the prosecution submitted non-execution report of non-bailable warrants issued against him.

The court said, “The prosecution has moved an application for protection of witnesses as per Section 44 of UAPA, 1967 read with Section 17 of NIA, 2018. Since, security and safety of these witnesses is necessary, so their identity is required to be kept secret, therefore, this request of the prosecution is hereby allowed. 26 witnesses i.e. from serial nos.116 to 140, 142 (from list of witnesses) are categorised as protected witnesses. Further, the documents connected to these witnesses are also ordered as protected documents. Consequently, copies of statement of the protected witnesses and copies of protected documents shall not be supplied.”

The NIA has already filed a charge- sheet in the case. It says US-based gangster-turned-terrorist Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia; and Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda planned the attack in Chandigarh through Rohan Masih and Vishal Masih. The NIA claimed that Rohan and Vishal allegedly hurled a hand grenade at a house in Sector 10, Chandigarh, at the behest of Passia and Rinda.

Both accused hurled the grenade from a moving auto-rickshaw on February 10, 2024. The NIA is probing the wider angle of the conspiracy and also how weapons and explosives were smuggled across borders.

The court earlier issued non-bailable warrant of arrest against accused Shamsher. As the warrant could not be served, the prosecution filed another application for initiating proclamation proceeding under Section 84 BNSS against him.

The court said the whereabouts of the accused were not known and his presence couldn’t be secured through ordinary way of service. Consequently, proclamation under Section 84 of the BNS be issued against him forthwith, returnable for December 4, 2025. The NIA claimed that Shamsher was a close associate of Harpreet, who is involved in recruiting youth to collect weapons sent from across border, conduct recces of targets and carry out an attack on them. During investigation, it was established that accused Abhijot Singh came into contact with Shamsher in February-March, 2024, in Armenia. After Abhijot returned to India in June, 2024, Shamsher introduced him to Harpreet. On his instructions, Abhijot conducted a recce of their targeted, a retired Punjab Police officer, in this case.