Punjab: NIA raids 10 locations in Amritsar temple grenade attack case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at 10 locations across Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts in connection with the 2025 Amritsar temple grenade attack. Incriminating material, including digital devices and documents, was seized.

New Delhi: The NIA on Thursday conducted searches at multiple locations across three border districts of Punjab in connection with the 2025 Amritsar temple grenade terror attack case.

The searches were carried out at 10 locations in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts, during which incriminating materials were seized, the National Investigation Agency said in a statement.

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“A host of incriminating materials, including mobiles/digital devices and documents, were seized during the searches,” it said.

The case pertains to an explosion outside the Thakur Dwara Sanatan Temple at Khandwala on Sher Shah Road in Amritsar on the night of March 14 last year.

“The attack was carried out on the directions of several foreign-based handlers, who had arranged for explosives and weapons to spread terror in the region,” the statement said.

It added that the temple attack was “among many such grenade attacks carried out by operatives of different terror groups in the state of Punjab as part of the terror conspiracy”.

The investigation further revealed that the “foreign-based handlers” had been recruiting and funding many individuals in India to carry out these grenade attacks, the NIA said.

After taking over the probe from the state police, the NIA found that the grenade had been hurled at the Amritsar temple by accused Vishal and Gursidak.

While Vishal has been arrested, Gursidak has since died, it said.

According to the federal agency, the duo had received the explosive from Sharanjeet Kumar of Qadian in Batala, who had fled to Jharkhand and Bihar and was subsequently arrested in September.

“Sharanjeet, who had received consignments of explosives and grenades from foreign-based handlers, had also concealed three hand grenades and one pistol,” the statement said, adding that these were later recovered from a location in Gurdaspur district.