Chandigarh Grenade Attack Investigation Shifted to NIA; 11 Accused Already in Custody

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has transferred the investigation into the grenade attack on the Punjab BJP office in Chandigarh to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), marking a significant development in the high-profile case.
The NIA informed a Chandigarh Sessions Court that it has sought the transfer of the case to the Special NIA Court in Chandigarh and requested that all case records be handed over by the Chandigarh Police.
According to the agency’s application, an FIR was registered on April 1, 2026, at Sector 39 police station under Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, following a blast near the Punjab BJP office in Sector 37-A, Chandigarh. The explosion damaged the boundary wall of the office premises and nearby vehicles.
During the course of the investigation, Chandigarh Police arrested 11 individuals, all of whom are currently in judicial custody.
The police subsequently completed the initial investigation and filed a final report under Section 193 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) on July 13, 2026. Charges were filed against all 11 accused under Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and Sections 16, 18, and 18B of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Authorities stated that further investigation under Section 193(9) of the BNSS was still ongoing against the charge-sheeted accused as well as any additional persons who might emerge during the probe.
The NIA said the Ministry of Home Affairs, through an order dated September 7, 2026, formally entrusted the case to the agency. Following the directive, the NIA re-registered the case on September 8, 2026, under the Explosive Substances Act and assumed responsibility for all future investigation and prosecution proceedings.
The agency also took over the incomplete aspects of the ongoing investigation that had previously been under the jurisdiction of Chandigarh Police.
After hearing arguments from the NIA’s special prosecutor, the Sessions Court noted that under Section 13 of the National Investigation Agency Act, cases investigated by the NIA fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of designated Special NIA Courts. The court subsequently ordered that the matter be transferred to the Special Judge, NIA, for further proceedings.
Police investigations into the blast had earlier revealed that the alleged conspiracy behind the attack was backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and was being directed by foreign-based handlers operating from Portugal and Germany.
Investigators also stated that the banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) had claimed responsibility for the explosion shortly after the attack.
The transfer of the case to the NIA is expected to bring the investigation under the country’s premier counter-terrorism agency as authorities continue to examine the alleged international links and wider conspiracy behind the attack.