Why Punjab Police are struggling to stop grenade attacks even as key accused are killed in encounters

The encounter allegedly took place following a chase after the suspects fled Punjab. When confronted, they reportedly fired at the police, leading to a retaliatory exchange in which they were fatally injured. The police recovered two AK-47 rifles and two Glock pistols. Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, described it as a breakthrough against a terror module sponsored by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

On March 17, Gursidak Singh, the prime suspect in a grenade attack on the Thakurdwara temple in Amritsar’s Khandwala area on March 15, 2025, was killed in a police encounter near Rajasansi airport.

The police claimed that they acted on intelligence, intercepting Gursidak and an accomplice, Vishal, on a motorcycle. The two opened fire, injuring two officers, prompting Inspector Vinod Kumar to shoot back, fatally wounding Gursidak. Vishal escaped, sparking a manhunt. The grenade attack on the temple, captured on CCTV, was the first in this wave targeting a religious site, with the police suspecting ISI involvement.

These incidents reflect a pattern of grenade attacks in Punjab since November 2024, primarily targeting police posts, though the Amritsar temple attack marked a shift. Authorities have linked many to groups like KZF and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), often operated by overseas handlers such as the US-based Happy Passia and Harwinder Singh Rinda who is based in Pakistan.

Rising concerns amid continuing attacks

Even as senior Punjab Police officers repeatedly stress that the cases involving most incidents of such attacks have been solved, the fact remains that such attacks are continuing.

Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior Opposition leader from the border belt said that youth from the disadvantaged sections of society were being lured to lob grenades in return for small amounts of cash. “I am told that as little as Rs 5,000 is being paid to some of these ‘grenade throwers’ who come from poverty-stricken backgrounds and are just pawns in the hands of those who actually plan such incidents while sitting abroad,” he said.

A senior police officer said that the easy supply of grenades from Pakistan via drones as well as through traditional smuggling routes like the riverine belt means that gangsters and terrorist sympathisers have ample stock to carry out their activities.

“The attacks have graduated to new levels in a scaled manner. After initially targeting police posts, a temple was attacked in Amritsar to disturb communal harmony, and now a BJP leader has been targeted with the same aim in mind,” said a senior police officer.