NIA arrests terror accused wanted for involvement in Amritsar temple grenade attack

Gaya (Bihar) [India], September 5 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a terror accused from Bihar on Friday, who is wanted for his alleged connection to the Amritsar temple grenade attack case that occurred in March this year, the agency said.
Sharanjit Kumar alias Sunny, a resident of village Bhaini Bangar, Qadian, Batala of Punjab's Gurdaspur, was nabbed from Bihar's Gaya.
"The accused was found to have been actively involved in the conspiracy and execution of the terror attack that took place in the wee hours of March 15," the NIA said in a statement.
The grenade attack was allegedly carried out by two bike-borne assailants, Gursidak Singh and Vishal Gill, who were working under the directions of foreign-based handlers. NIA investigations revealed a conspiracy by handlers having a transnational presence in Europe, the USA and Canada.
"The handlers had provided terror hardware, funds, logistical support and target details to their on-ground operatives in India, the counter terror agency further found," said the NIA.
As per the NIA investigations, Gursidak and Vishal were involved in procurement and supply of multiple consignments of grenades as well as arms and ammunition.
A consignment of four grenades was received by Sharanjit from another arrested accused at Batala, Gurdaspur, on March 1 this year. "Sharanjit, in turn, had handed over one grenade to Gursidak and Vishal just two days before the attack," mentioned the NIA.
NIA said Sharanjit had absconded from Batala after the investigative agency searched the area a month ago, and that "He was finally traced to Gaya after extensive investigation based on human and technical intelligence."
Meanwhile, on August 30, the NIA chargesheeted five workers/cadres of the CPI (Maoist) terror organisation for their involvement in the murder of an Indian Army personnel in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh in 2023.
In the supplementary chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court at Jagdalpur, the accused Bhawan Lal Jain, Suresh Kumar Salam, Shailendra Kumar Baghel, Anduram Salam and Sonu Hemla have been charged under various sections of the IPC, Arms Act and UA(P) Act in the case.
As per the release from NIA, Motiram Achala, a personnel of the Indian Army, was shot dead by armed cadre of CPI (Maoist) at the Useli village fair in the Amabeda area of Kanker district while he was visiting his family in February 2023. (ANI)