Four individuals, including Khalistani operatives, have been charged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for their alleged involvement in a grenade attack at the home of former Punjab minister Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar, officials informed on Sunday.
The chargesheet was filed in a Chandigarh court on Saturday, naming two arrested accused — Saidul Ameen of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh and Abhijot Jangra of Kurukshetra in Haryana — and two absconders — Kulbir Singh Sidhu of Yamunanagar and Manish alias Kaka Rana of Karnal — both in Haryana.
On the evening of April 7, 2025, the former minister and BJP leader's property was attacked. A few days later, on April 12, the investigation was taken over by the NIA. According to an NIA statement, Sidhu, an agent of the banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and his partner Manish established a terror gang to target well-known Punjabi leaders in an effort to instill fear in the populace and extort money for the BKI.
Manish had subsequently recruited Ameen, who had hurled the grenade at the former minister's house, it said. The grenade was supplied to Ameen by Sidhu, while Jangra provided the funds, the probe agency said.
Sidhu had circulated a poster after the attack, claiming responsibility for hatching the conspiracy along with Manish, it said.
A red corner notice has been issued against Sidhu, who is also carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his arrest.
The NIA had earlier chargesheeted Sidhu in a case related to the targeted killing of Punjab-based VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) leader Vikas Prabhakar in April 2024.
The anti-terror agency has intensified its efforts to track and arrest the absconders and identify other members of BKI operating in India, the statement said.
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