3 grenades, pistol seized amid Amritsar temple attack probe

The recovered explosives and arms have been sent for forensic and technical examination. Sharanjit, who was nabbed by the NIA from Gaya in Bihar last Friday, was found actively involved in the conspiracy of the grenade attack on Thakurdwara Sanatan temple in Amritsar by bike-borne assailants — Gursidak Singh and Vishal Gill.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said it has seized three hand grenades and a pistol amid the ongoing probe in connection with the Amritsar temple grenade attack case, exposing the transnational terror conspiracy involving an arms and explosives syndicate. Disclosures made by accused Sharanjeet Kumar, alias Sunny, resulted in the recovery of the hand grenades from Bhamri village in Batala. The agency also seized a .30-bore pistol that had been provided to Sharanjeet by his foreign-based handlers as part of the conspiracy by terrorist groups to disturb the peace and harmony of Punjab, the NIA stated.

The NIA investigation revealed that the attack was launched on the directions of foreign-based handlers. Sharanjit’s interrogation led the NIA to a specific location in Batala in Gurdaspur where the grenades had been concealed.

The recovered explosives and arms have been sent for forensic and technical examination. Sharanjit, who was nabbed by the NIA from Gaya in Bihar last Friday, was found actively involved in the conspiracy of the grenade attack on Thakurdwara Sanatan temple in Amritsar by bike-borne assailants — Gursidak Singh and Vishal Gill.

The NIA investigation revealed that the attack was launched on the directions of foreign-based handlers. Sharanjit’s interrogation led the NIA to a specific location in Batala in Gurdaspur where the grenades had been concealed.

“The accused identified the grenades as among the four he had received on March 1. He had handed over one grenade to the assailants two days before the March 15 attack,” the NIA statement mentioned, citing a revelation of the accused to the investigators. The probe so far has revealed the conspiracy by terrorist handlers, based in Europe, USA and Canada, behind the attack, it stated.