The Punjab police on Tuesday said a grenade attack on BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s house in Jalandhar was carried out by Lawrence Bishnoi gang along with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
Two gangsters, Zeeshan Akhtar and Shahzad Bhatti, were conspirators, ADGP Arpit Shukla, said this in a press conference.
He said the police solved the case within 12 hours of its occurrence.
Shukla said Punjab Police teams along with Central government agencies worked round the clock to crack the case.
“A big operation to catch several culprits is under way, due to which further details cannot be shared. Police parties are raiding many places ,” he said.
The ADGP said the e-rickshaw used in the crime has been impounded.
“We cannot disclose the identity of the arrested accused at the moment,” he said.
These attacks were not an intelligence failure, Shukla said in response to queries.
The Punjab government had shifted ADGP Intelligence R K Jaiswal last evening without giving him a new posting.
The Tribune
Attack on BJP leader’s house: All about ‘key conspirators’ Zeeshan Akhtar and Shahzad Bhatti
Hours after a blast at Punjab BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s residence in Jalandhar on Tuesday morning, the police have claimed the involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in the grenade attack. Addressing a press conference, ADGP Arpit Shukla has said that two gangsters, Zeeshan Akhtar and Shahzad Bhatti, were the “key conspirators”.
Zeeshan is a criminal from Jalandhar, Punjab, with a history of organised crime, murder and robbery. He was arrested in 2012 and later released in June 2024. Zeeshan is also suspected to have coordinated with the shooters in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique in Mumbai, providing logistic support and information to them.
Shahzad Bhatti, on the other hand, is a Pakistan-based gangster, who had claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on social media influencer Rozer Sandhu’s house in Jalandhar in March 2025. Bhatti alleged the attack was in retaliation to comments that “disrespected Islam”. He has also been linked to other criminal activities and has connections with individuals like Lawrence Bishnoi.
The Tribune
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