Jalandhar: The Jalandhar police have arrested two suspects in the Grenade Attack at the Former Minister’s House.
The accused have been identified as Ravinder Kumar and Satish, alias Kaka, alias Lakka. Ravinder lives on Subhana Road, Garha (Jalandhar), and Satish resides in Bhargav Camp (Jalandhar). The police also recovered the e-rickshaw.
The attackers arrived in an e-rickshaw. They threw a grenade into his house. A loud explosion followed. The former minister was sleeping at home. Other family members stayed inside too. CCTV outside the house captured the incident. His residence is in Jalandhar City.
Punjab’s Law and Order DGP Arpit Shukla spoke up. He held a press conference in Chandigarh on Tuesday. He blamed the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. They orchestrated the attack. A link to Pakistan-based don Shahzad Bhatti and Zeeshan Akhtar emerged. The Lawrence Gang is involved, too.
Security Details
Former Minister Kalia has police security. The Punjab government allotted him four gunmen. Nishan Singh is his security in-charge. He rushed out after the attack.
The attack occurred at 2 a.m. It happened near Shastri Market Chowk in Jalandhar. A PCR team stays 50 meters away. They operate 24 hours. The Division Number-3 police station is 100 meters away. Still, three youths threw a hand grenade. They fled the scene.
Amit Shah calls Kalia
BJP leaders started protests in Jalandhar. BJP Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar held a press conference. He questioned the AAP government’s role and criticized the police. He added that Home Minister Amit Shah contacted Kalia and gathered details about the case.
Sources revealed new details. The e-rickshaw driver passed Shastri Market Chowk, headed toward Kalia’s house, and then moved toward Division Number-3 police station. A youth on a bike stood near the station, and another youth booked the e-rickshaw for hire.
One accused boarded the e-rickshaw. He directed it back to Shastri Market Chowk. The youth threw a grenade as they passed Kalia’s house. He continued moving in the e-rickshaw.
The grenade exploded later. It caused a loud blast. The e-rickshaw driver fled toward the railway station. The accused’s bike headed toward the highway.
CCTV Evidence
CCTV footage exists. It shows the explosion outside Kalia’s house. The incident happened in the Jalandhar district. An assailant arrived in an e-rickshaw. He allegedly threw the grenade. Then he fled.
Kalia served as a Cabinet minister and was also Punjab BJP president. He is a member of the BJP’s national executive and currently leads the Bharatiya Janata Party legislature party in Punjab, India. He was a Cabinet minister in the Akali Dal-BJP government and contested the MLA seat from Jalandhar Central. Kalia is a lawyer by profession. Later, he joined politics. In the previous SAD-BJP government, he held Cabinet Minister status. He represented the Bharatiya Janata Party.
A loud sound woke the area around 1 a.m. near Shastri Market. Panic spread among residents. No one got hurt. Deputy Commissioner of Police Manpreet Singh confirmed this. He added that the forensic team is investigating.
Lawrence Bishnoi gang is behind the attack
Punjab police made a statement on Tuesday. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang attacked Kalia’s house. Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) joined them. The attack occurred in Jalandhar.
ADGP Arpit Shukla addressed the press. He named Zeeshan Akhtar and Shahzad Bhatti as conspirators. The police solved the case in 12 hours. Punjab Police teamed up with Central agencies. They worked around the clock.
A major operation continues, targeting several culprits. Shukla withheld further details. Police parties are raiding many places.
The police impounded the e-rickshaw. Shukla avoided revealing the arrested accused’s identity. He denied an intelligence failure. He responded to queries confidently.
The Punjab government shifted ADGP Intelligence R K Jaiswal. This happened last evening. They gave him no new posting.
Background of Conspirators
Hours after the blast, police claimed gang involvement. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang and BKI orchestrated the attack. ADGP Arpit Shukla held a press conference. He identified Zeeshan Akhtar and Shahzad Bhatti as key conspirators.
Zeeshan is a criminal from Jalandhar. He has a history of organized crime, murder, and robbery. Police arrested him in 2012. He was released in June 2024. Zeeshan allegedly coordinated NCP leader Baba Siddique’s murder in Mumbai. He provided logistic support and information.
Shahzad Bhatti operates from Pakistan. He claimed a grenade attack on influencer Rozer Sandhu’s house. It happened in Jalandhar in March 2025. Bhatti said it retaliated against comments disrespecting Islam. He links to other crimes. He connects with Lawrence Bishnoi too.