NIA arrests accused in Amritsar temple grenade attack case from Bihar's Gaya district

Patna, Sep 6 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a key wanted terror accused in connection with the March 2025 Amritsar temple grenade attack, late on Friday night.

The accused, identified as Sharanjit Kumar alias Sunny, a resident of Bhaini Bangar, Qadian in Batala of Gurdaspur district, Punjab, was nabbed late on Friday night from Gaya in Bihar.

On March 15, 2025, two bike-borne assailants — Gursidak Singh and Vishal Gill — carried out the grenade attack under the directions of foreign-based handlers operating from Europe, the US and Canada.

According to NIA investigations, the handlers provided funds, terror hardware, logistical support and target details to operatives in India.

Sharanjit played a crucial role by receiving a consignment of four grenades in Batala on March 1, 2025.

He handed over one of these grenades to Gursidak and Vishal just two days before the attack.

After the attack, Sharanjit absconded from Batala during NIA raids and managed to evade authorities for months.

Based on human and technical Intelligence, he was finally traced to Gopalpur village on the Delhi-Kolkata National Highway 2 in the Sherghati block of Gaya district.

The NIA team, with assistance from Sherghati police, conducted a late-night raid, surrounded him, and made the arrest.

“Sharanjit was very clever, often disguising himself as a truck driver and using fake identities. He had set up a hideout in a roadside lodge on GT Road and was running operations from there,” said Ajit Kumar, Station Incharge, Sherghati Police Station.

The NIA registered cases under the Explosives Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Sharanjit was immediately taken to Chandigarh for interrogation.

Further investigations are underway to unravel the full extent of the transnational terror network involved in the Amritsar attack.

NIA and Bihar police have jointly arrested many accused of the Popular Front of India (PFI) from various districts of the state in the past.

--IANS

ajk/rad