NIA chargesheets 3 in Amritsar Temple grenade attack case; foreign terror links under probe

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against three individuals for their alleged involvement in the Amritsar temple grenade attack that shook Punjab in March.

The charge sheet was submitted before the Special NIA Court in Mohali, Punjab, on Friday.

The three accused, Vishal Gill alias Chuchi, Bhagwant Singh alias Manna Bhatti, and Diwan Singh alias Sunny, have been formally charged for their roles in the conspiracy and execution of the grenade attack on Thakurdwara Sanatan Temple in Chheharta, Amritsar.

According to the NIA’s official statement,

“Vishal Gill was one of the two bike-borne assailants who hurled the grenade in the early hours of March 15, 2025. The other attacker, Gursidak Singh alias Sidki, was killed in a police encounter two days after the incident.”

The agency further revealed that Bhagwant Singh had played a key role by providing shelter, concealing weapons, and offering logistical support, including motorcycles used for reconnaissance. Diwan Singh, meanwhile, has been charged with harbouring the co-accused and destroying critical evidence.

Another accused, Sharanjeet Kumar, was arrested from Gaya, Bihar, by the NIA on September 5 and remains under investigation. The agency is also pursuing Badalpreet Singh, a foreign-based absconder, along with other unidentified conspirators.

“Investigations have also uncovered the transfer of terror funds from foreign handlers to local operatives through UPI and MTSS channels, which are being further probed,” the NIA added in its press release.

The NIA stated that the terror module behind the attack was part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by India- and foreign-based operatives with the intent to spread fear and incite communal unrest in Punjab and across the country.

Efforts are ongoing to identify additional absconders and trace international linkages connected to the attack.

The Amritsar temple grenade blast is one of several recent incidents in Punjab that security agencies believe are part of renewed attempts by foreign-backed terror outfits to destabilise peace in the region.

IANS