Grenade Blast Outside Punjab BJP Office in Chandigarh, NIA Launches Probe

Babbar Khalsa International claims the Chandigarh grenade attack was retaliation for a police encounter in Gurdaspur; multi-agency investigation underway with no arrests so far.

Blast Rocks Party Office

A grenade was hurled outside the Punjab BJP headquarters in Chandigarh's Sector 37 on Wednesday evening, sending shockwaves through the area and triggering an immediate multi-agency security response. The low-intensity explosion took place around 5 pm and, while no casualties were reported, the banned outfit Babbar Khalsa International claimed responsibility for the attack.

Grenade Misdirected, Vehicles Hit

It is believed the grenade was intended to be thrown inside the Punjab BJP office premises but failed to reach its target and exploded outside. A scooter parked outside the office was damaged, while the front windscreen and a passenger-side window of a car belonging to a youth leader from Mansa district were shattered. Around 70 to 80 pellet marks were also found on the outer wall of the BJP office.

Video of Attack Goes Viral

An unverified video surfaced on social media showing a person carrying a helmet in one hand, pulling the pin out of a grenade and throwing it, while another recorded the act. After it was hurled, both fled, followed by the blast sound. Their faces were not visible in the roughly 10-second clip. Further analysis of regional surveillance identified two suspects on a motorcycle who were observed scouting the area both before and after the attack.

Babbar Khalsa Claims Responsibility

In a message released in Punjabi, one Sukhjinder Singh Babbar stated that violence against Punjab's youth would be met with retaliation, claiming the blast was in response to the encounter killing of Ranjit Singh in Gurdaspur. Ranjit Singh, 19, was among three youths accused in the double murder of a police officer and a Home Guard near the Pakistan border on February 22, and was subsequently killed in a police encounter on February 25.

Multi-Agency Probe Launched

Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur confirmed that NIA, FSL, Chandigarh Police, Crime Branch and Crime Cell teams reached the spot and are investigating all angles. Investigators from the National Investigation Agency, the Indian Army, and the Punjab Police Anti-Gangster Task Force have joined local authorities to probe the incident. The area was sealed, CCTV footage from nearby locations is being examined, and forensic teams collected evidence well into the night.

Political Backlash Follows

Senior political voices across party lines swiftly condemned the attack. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar pointed to a string of prior incidents — including grenade attacks on police stations and the vandalising of a Babasaheb Ambedkar statue in Hoshiarpur — and accused the ruling AAP government of failing to control the deteriorating law and order situation. Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh expressed shock and urged a swift, thorough investigation with strict action against those responsible. Punjab Congress and Akali Dal also called the incident a serious failure of the state's security and intelligence apparatus.

Pattern of Recent Violence

The grenade attack follows three separate firing incidents in Chandigarh over the past fortnight, including a targeted shooting at Panjab University and the broad-daylight killing of a property dealer near Sector 9-C. The Chandigarh blast also occurred just 36 hours after a similar grenade attack on a police station in Amritsar, pointing to what security officials describe as a volatile shift in the region's threat landscape.

Security Tightened, Hunt On

Following the blast, Chandigarh Police directed all Station House Officers to intensify night patrols and enhance surveillance in sensitive areas. No arrests had been made as of late Wednesday night. Agencies are conducting technical analysis of the viral video in an effort to establish the identities of the attackers. This Chandigarh grenade attack — the first major assault on a political party's headquarters in the city since 1995 — has placed security agencies across Punjab and the Union Territory on high alert as the investigation continues.