Blast outside Punjab BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s Jalandhar home, probe on

A blast was reported outside the residence of Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoranjan Kalia during the early hours of Tuesday, news agency ANI reported.

The BJP leader is reportedly safe. Police teams were rushed to Kalia’s residence following the incident. Forensic experts were also seen collecting evidence from the blast site. An investigation has been launched to identify the perpetrator.

Speaking about the incident, Kalia said, “There was a blast at around 1 am…I was sleeping, and I thought that it was the sound of thunder…Later I was informed that a blast had taken place…after this, I sent my gunman to the police station…CCTV is being investigated; forensic experts are also present here.”

Jalandhar deputy commissioner of police, Manpreet Singh, said the forensic teams will study the evidence and submit a report.

Commissioner of police, Dhanpreet Kaur, inspected the site of the blast. “Around 1 am, we got information of blast here. After which we reached the spot and started the investigation. The forensic team is investigating the matter…We are also monitoring the CCTV. The forensic team is investigating whether it is a grenade attack or something else,” she said.

More details were awaited at the time of filing this report.

Grenade attacks in Punjab

Last month, four persons, including a woman, were arrested for their alleged involvement in hurling a grenade at the house of a Jalandhar-based YouTuber. Key accused identified as Amritpreet Singh, suffered a bullet injury during an encounter near Chuharwali village.

In a separate incident, two unidentified masked men threw explosives outside Thakur Dwara Temple in Amritsar’s Khandwala area. Though no one was injured, the explosion damaged walls and shattered windowpanes of the temple.

A series of 10 explosions have been reported outside police installations in Punjab between November 2024 and February 2025.