Punjab Grenade Blast Accused Arrested, Lawrence Bishnoi Link Emerges | Key Developments

Jalandhar, Punjab: The Punjab Police have arrested the main accused in the grenade blast outside the residence of senior BJP leader and former Punjab minister Manoranjan Kalia. The attack, which took place in the early hours of Monday, is being linked to Pakistan ’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, police sources confirmed.

The arrested suspect has been identified as Zeeshan Akhtar, a close aide of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Akhtar, who is also wanted in the high-profile murder case of NCP leader Baba Siddique, is believed to have masterminded the attack in coordination with cross-border handlers.

Sources told the media that the grenade attack was part of a larger conspiracy “engineered by the ISI to disturb communal harmony in Punjab”.

The incident, which rattled the quiet Jalandhar neighborhood around 1 am, is being probed by forensic teams to determine the exact nature of the explosive used.

“We received information about a blast at around 1 am and immediately rushed to the spot. Forensic teams are collecting evidence and CCTV footage is being scanned,” said Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur.

Manoranjan Kalia, who was present in his home at the time of the incident, said he initially mistook the blast for thunder. “It was only after someone informed me that I realized a blast had taken place outside. I immediately sent my gunman to the police station,” he told reporters.

The explosion damaged vehicles and the exterior walls of Kalia’s residence. CCTV footage reportedly shows an e-rickshaw passing by his house around 1:15 am, moments before the blast occurred. Investigators suspect the grenade was hurled from the moving vehicle.

Union Minister Ravneet Bittu, who visited Kalia after the incident, lashed out at the AAP-led Punjab government over what he called a collapse of law and order in the state.

“Grenades being used in residential areas in Punjab are extremely worrying. It’s as if grenades are now available in toy shops,” Bittu said. “Kalia is a respected leader who has witnessed Punjab’s darkest years of militancy. That such an attack could be carried out at his residence shows how deep the rot runs.”  

Bittu also alleged that Punjab has become a battleground between two rival groups—one from Delhi and another operating locally. He further claimed that drug abuse was rampant, and even police personnel were being caught with narcotics.

Meanwhile, the police are continuing their investigation and have not ruled out more arrests. Intelligence agencies are also involved, considering the suspected cross-border angle and the involvement of notorious gangsters.