Punjab Police Arrested Punjab Blast Accused, Investigation Reveals Links To Lawrence Bishnoi Gang
In a significant breakthrough, Punjab Police have arrested the prime accused in the grenade attack at BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s residence in Jalandhar. The suspect has been identified as Zeeshan Akhtar, a close associate of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and a wanted figure in the murder case of former NCP leader Baba Siddiqui, according to police sources.
The blast, which occurred early Tuesday morning, damaged the aluminum partition, shattered windowpanes, and left multiple vehicles at the site wrecked. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Kalia, a former state BJP president and ex-Cabinet minister, was present at home during the incident.
Investigators have now traced the attack back to a broader conspiracy involving Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Khalistani terror networks, and criminal gangs operating in India. Officials believe the attack was orchestrated to destabilize communal peace in Punjab, a state already grappling with a spate of targeted blasts in recent months.
Police have also recovered the e-rickshaw used to execute the assault and confirmed that the individual who threw the grenade is now in custody.
In a startling twist, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Happy Passia claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after the explosion. Security agencies suspect this signals a growing nexus between the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and Khalistani terror outfits, possibly operating under the influence of ISI handlers across the border.
“This connection is alarming but not unexpected. It strengthens our intelligence assessments of converging interests between terror groups and organized crime syndicates,” a senior Punjab police official told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity.
This incident marks the latest in a series of explosions in Punjab over the past year, many of which have targeted police installations, particularly in Amritsar. Investigators have repeatedly encountered the names of Happy Passia and gangster Jeevan Fauji during these probes.
Political reactions have followed swiftly. Punjab minister Mohinder Bhagat alleged that “those who cannot digest the all-round development of the state” are attempting to create chaos through such violent acts. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, have intensified criticism of the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government, questioning its ability to curb rising threats from internal and external forces.
As the investigation progresses, security agencies are expected to deepen their scrutiny of cross-border terror links and further interrogate Zeeshan Akhtar’s role in the wider terror-crime nexus.
The state police, in coordination with central intelligence units, are also monitoring encrypted communication between known gangsters and foreign handlers, particularly in the context of renewed Khalistani propaganda.
