NIA files charge sheet against 3 in Amritsar temple grenade attack case

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against three individuals for their alleged involvement in the grenade attack on Thakurdwara Sanatan Temple in Chheharta, Amritsar, on March this year, officials said on Sunday. The charge sheet submitted before the Special NIA Court in Mohali, Punjab, on Friday, names Vishal Gill alias Chuchi, Bhagwant Singh alias Manna Bhatti, and Diwan Singh alias Sunny, for their alleged roles in the attack's planning and execution. Later in an official statement, the NIA said, 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 in the charge sheet that Bhagwant Singh had allegedly 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, it added. Suspected Khalistani terrorist arrested from Bihar over alleged involvement in Amritsar temple attack Another accused Sharanjeet Kumar, who was arrested from Gaya, Bihar by the agency on September 5, continues to remain under police custody, the officials said, adding that 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 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, the NIA said, adding that efforts are being made 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.