Chandigarh BJP office grenade attack: 5 arrested, links to Pakistan-based ISI module revealed

Three days after a grenade explosion outside the Punjab BJP office in Sector 37 here sent shockwaves across the city and triggered a bitter political slugfest among rival parties, the Chandigarh Police and Counter Intelligence wing of the Punjab Police cracked the case on Saturday with the arrest of five accused, seizing a live hand grenade, a .30 bore Zigana pistol and 10 live cartridges from their possession.

Chandigarh DGP Dr Sagar Preet Hooda and Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav jointly announced that preliminary investigations had revealed the attack was executed by a Pakistan’s ISI-backed module operating under the directions of foreign-based handlers located in Portugal and Germany.

The five arrested accused have been identified as Balwinder Lal, alias Shami, of Majari village in Nawanshahr; Jasvir Singh, alias Jassi, of Bharapur village in Nawanshahr; Charanjit Singh, alias Channi, of Sujawalpur village in Nawanshahr; Rubal Chauhan of Thana village in Shimla district; and Mandeep, alias Abhijot Sharma, of Dhuri in Sangrur.

Two key perpetrators, identified as Gurtej Singh and Amanpreet Singh, are currently absconding, and joint police teams are conducting raids to apprehend them.

Investigations have revealed that the accused were part of a structured network involving multiple cutouts and sub-modules. They transported a consignment of hand grenades, arms and live cartridges, which was circulated through multiple operatives before being handed over to the final perpetrators. Acting on the directions of Portugal-based handler Baljot Singh alias Jot, the accused coordinated the delivery and execution of the attack, said DGP Yadav.

A case has been registered under Section 25(1)(B) of the Arms Act and Section 61(2) of the BNS at the SSOC police station, Mohali, on April 3. Further investigation is underway to uncover the complete network, trace the supply chain, and establish the backward and forward linkages of the module.

POLITICAL STORM

The grenade attack on April 1 had set off a fierce political firestorm, not only in Chandigarh, but also Punjab, with BJP, AAP, Congress and SAD trading barbs and attempting to score political points off the incident.BJP blamed the AAP government’s law and order record in Punjab and demanded accountability, while AAP hit back, accusing opposition parties of exploiting a security incident for political mileage and claiming that Chandigarh is a Union Territory ruled by BJP. The Congress and SAD joined the din with their own broadsides, turning the blast into a flashpoint in the state's charged political landscape.

CITY ON EDGE

The BJP office grenade attack was not an isolated jolt for Chandigarh. In the days leading up to April 1, the city had witnessed three separate shootouts in less than a week, sending alarm signals about deteriorating law and order in the Union Territory. However, the Chandigarh Police acted swiftly in all three cases, making arrests and solving each incident in quick succession, offering some reassurance about the force's response capability.

Saturday’s breakthrough in the grenade attack case further underscored the effectiveness of joint inter-agency operations in tackling organised cross-border crime networks targeting the region.