JALANDHAR, April 8:— CCTV footage from BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s residence in Jalandhar shows an assailant arriving in an e-rickshaw and allegedly hurling a grenade before fleeing, triggering an explosion that damaged parts of the property around 1 a.m. Monday.
Kalia, a former Punjab Cabinet minister and current member of the BJP national executive, said he was asleep when the blast occurred. “I first thought it was a transformer explosion. My driver informed me it was a blast. I called the police but no one answered, so I sent my gunman,” he said.
The explosion shattered a partition wall, kitchen window, bathroom door, and caused damage to the entrance flooring and Kalia’s SUV.
“No one was injured,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Manpreet Singh. “A forensic team is examining the site.”
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed that CCTV footage is under review.
The incident follows a series of explosions targeting police posts in Amritsar and Gurdaspur in recent months, including a blast near a temple in Amritsar last month.
