Jalandhar BSF Blast: Khalistani Group Claims Responsibility

Grenade also hurled at Amritsar Army camp as Punjab on high alert after Jalandhar BSF blast late Tuesday night.

A low-intensity blast rocked the area outside the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in Jalandhar late Tuesday evening, with a little-known Khalistani outfit claiming responsibility hours later. In a related incident, a grenade was lobbed at an Army camp in Amritsar's Khasa area, raising fears of a coordinated push by terror elements in Punjab.

No one was hurt in either attack, but the incidents triggered a swift security clampdown across the state.

Blast Near PAP Chowk

The Jalandhar explosion happened around 7:57 pm near PAP Chowk, just as the city braced for a visit by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Eyewitnesses described a man walking up from the wrong side of the road, dropping a polythene-wrapped packet near a parked scooter, and bolting toward the bus stand.

Seconds later, the blast went off. A video circulating on social media captured the flash and smoke, showing a young man—believed to be the scooter's owner—running for cover.

Forensic teams sifted through the debris overnight, recovering remnants of what officials suspect was an improvised explosive device (IED). The scooter took the brunt, with its owner, former BSF jawan Kashmir Singh, insisting his son Gurpreet had nothing to do with it.

Courier Worker in the Spotlight

Gurpreet Singh, a courier delivery agent who'd parked the scooter outside the headquarters to pick up a parcel, found himself in custody for questioning. "He called a soldier at the gate and was waiting outside," Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur told reporters, adding that the blast followed a fire on the vehicle.

Gurpreet recounted seeing a stranger walk by moments before the boom. He dashed to the gate after the explosion and has denied any role. His father, Kashmir Singh, who served in the BSF, pleaded innocence: "My son started this job just three months back. He couldn't be involved in anything anti-national."

Two youths who arrived on a scooter were also detained, sources said. The crime scene remains sealed.

Khalistani Claim Surfaces

Adding to the tension, a social media post purportedly from the Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) owned up to the Jalandhar BSF blast. It issued direct threats to Border Range Deputy Inspector General Sandeep Goyal and his family, sources familiar with the matter said.

The post linked the attack to the March 2026 encounter of Ranjit Singh, accused in the Adiyan police outpost killings in Gurdaspur. Khalistani groups had cried foul over the operation, branding it "staged" and targeting DIG Goyal since.

Police are yet to verify the claim's authenticity.

Grenade Hits Amritsar Camp

Trouble didn't end there. Around 11 pm, two masked men on a motorcycle hurled a grenade at the Army camp in Khasa, Amritsar. The blast damaged tin sheds along the boundary wall between Gate No. 6 and 7, SSP Sohail Mir Qasim confirmed.

Security forces cordoned off the area immediately, with the site now taped off. No casualties, but the attack exposed vulnerabilities at key installations.

Security Agencies on Edge

These strikes come amid a reported uptick in IED use in Punjab, often tied to sleeper cells, investigators note. Questions swirl if the Jalandhar BSF blast was a lone hit or part of a broader plot eyeing crowded spots.

Preliminary probes point to possible escape help for the suspect—a second person lingering nearby, agencies believe. Punjab Police and central teams are digging deeper, with heightened patrols now in place.

Local authorities have urged the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity. As forensics wrap up, the focus shifts to nabbing those behind the Jalandhar BSF blast and Amritsar strike—before they strike again.

Lawrence Bishnoi gang associate Rajpal surrenders in Madhya Pradesh

High-profile criminal confesses to businessman firing incident; claims links to the 2022 Mohali Intelligence HQ rocket attack.

 In a significant development for inter-state crime investigations, Rajpal, a known associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, surrendered to the police in his native village of Ratnyakhedi on Thursday. The surrender follows sustained pressure from multiple law enforcement agencies regarding his alleged involvement in high-stakes criminal conspiracies across northern India.

During his surrender, Rajpal reportedly admitted to orchestrating a firing incident at the residence of a local businessman. While the identity of the target remains under investigation, the accused claimed the attack was a "punitive measure." This surrender marks a breakthrough for the Madhya Pradesh police, who have been monitoring the region for spillover activities of Punjab-based gangs.

Targeted firing in Nagda

Rajpal confessed that the shooting at the businessman’s house was premeditated. He alleged that the target was involved in the exploitation of local farmers and maintained "inappropriate intentions" toward young girls. According to Rajpal, his initial attempts to execute the plan through local associates had failed, leading him to seek professional assistance from another gang member identified as "Harry Boxer."

Mohali rocket attack link

The surrender has reignited interest in the 2022 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali. Rajpal was previously named as a key suspect in that case. Investigators believe he played a logistical role, specifically in providing a safe haven to the primary accused, Deepak Ranga, during the high-profile manhunt that followed the terror strike.

Allegations of police pressure

Before being taken into custody, Rajpal spoke briefly to the media, stating that his decision to surrender was prompted by the "harassment" of his family by various police departments. He claimed that the constant scrutiny from national agencies and state police forces had made his continued evasion impossible. He alleged that his family members were being targeted despite having no links to his criminal history.

Deep-seated gang networks

Rajpal’s criminal trajectory is closely tied to Yogesh Bhati, another individual previously interrogated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The duo is suspected of facilitating the movement of Lawrence Bishnoi’s shooters across state lines. The NIA had earlier raided several locations in Nagda and surrounding areas to dismantle the sleeper cells providing logistics to the Bishnoi-Brar syndicate.

Warning to rivals

In a defiant tone prior to his arrest, Rajpal issued a warning, suggesting that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang would continue to target those they deemed "wrongdoers." He made the unconventional claim that the gang’s actions were intended to "assist the administration" by cleansing society of corrupt elements, a narrative often pushed by gang associates to gain local sympathy.

Recent security crackdowns

Security agencies view this surrender as part of the larger India news update regarding the crackdown on organized crime. The latest news today suggests that the Nagda police had been coordinating with the Punjab and Haryana police to corner Rajpal. This public interest story highlights the expanding footprint of the Bishnoi gang into the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.

Judicial proceedings ahead

The Nagda police moved Rajpal to an undisclosed location for initial interrogation immediately after the surrender. He is expected to be produced before a local court on Friday afternoon. Officials have indicated that they will seek maximum remand to investigate his recent communications and uncover any planned operations of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in the state.

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.