Terror Strikes in Jalandhar: Grenade Thrown at BJP Leader Manoranjan Kalia’s Residence

Jalandhar (The Uttam Hindu): A sensational terrorist attack took place in Punjab late on Monday night when a grenade was thrown at the residence of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former cabinet minister Manoranjan Kalia. The attack occurred at his house near Shastri Market Chowk in Jalandhar. It is reported that between 1:03 AM and 1:07 AM, three attackers arrived at Kalia's house in an e-rickshaw, threw the grenade, and fled. The explosion caused significant damage to the courtyard of the house, but fortunately, no one was injured. At the time of the attack, Kalia was at home with his family, sister, and children.

Initial police investigations revealed that despite being under CCTV surveillance, the attackers carried out the crime. A PCR team was stationed just 50 meters away, and the Division Number-3 police station was 100 meters away, yet the attackers managed to flee without fear.

Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur stated that as soon as the information was received, a police team arrived at the scene, and a search of the area began. Former Minister Kalia mentioned, "We heard a loud crashing sound at night, initially thinking something had fallen. Later, the gunman informed us that a grenade had been thrown. CCTV footage clearly shows that the attackers arrived in an e-rickshaw, removed the grenade's lever, and threw it inside the house."

The former minister has security protection from the Punjab government, which includes four gunmen. His security in charge, Nishan Singh, responded immediately after the attack and informed the police. Currently, the police are working to identify the attackers based on CCTV footage, and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has also been put on alert.