Chandigarh, April 8 (H.S.): A grenade attack occurred around 10 PM at the residence of former Punjab minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar. Kalia was at home, and the entire family was asleep. There was one security personnel on duty, while the others were in the barracks. As soon as the news of the grenade attack broke, there was panic among the Punjab police. Senior police officials arrived at his house.

CCTV footage from Kalia's residence and the surrounding area revealed that three attackers arrived on an e-rickshaw and a bike. One of the assailants threw a grenade towards Kalia's house, resulting in a loud explosion. Upon hearing the blast, Kalia’s security in-charge Nishan Singh and other police personnel rushed to the scene and informed the local police.

Police reported that CCTV footage revealed assailants arriving by e-rickshaw, while two accomplices awaited on a bike. After the grenade was thrown, one attacker fled towards the police station, another towards the railway station, and the third escaped to Shastri Market. Kalia initially thought a transformer had exploded outside his home, only realizing it was a grenade attack when nearby dhaba staff and police arrived. Upon inspection, he found his home's glass and doors shattered. The Jalandhar Police Commissioner confirmed a forensic investigation is underway, gathering crucial evidence from the footage. The search for the suspects continues.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar