NIA files charge sheet against 9 for grenade attack on Haryana police station

THe subject investigating government agency (NIA) on tues said it has filed a bill sheet against nine people in connection with last year’s grenade attack on a police station in Haryana’s Sirsa.Among those named in the charge sheet filed before the Panchkula special court in Panchkula are Pakistani nationals and handlers - Shahzad Bhatti and Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch; and arrested Indian nationals - Dheeraj alias Dhiru, Vikas alias Vikky, Sandeep alias Daimar, Vikas, Sushil alias Sillu, Mohammad Sijaan alias Sijaan alias Ghazi, and Gurjant Singh.Some persons had carried out a grenade attack at a women’s police station in Sirsa on November 25, 2025, which, according to NIA, was part of a conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistani gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti to create terror among the people by targeting police establishments and personnel in India.Shahzad Bhatti has emerged as a key figure in several investigations related to terror attacks, organised crimes and radicalisation of youngsters in India over the past few years.According to Indian security officials, the Pakistan-based gangster-terrorist is backed by ISI and is the kingpin of narco-terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. He is said to have created an outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) and has lately become very active, running his operations from across the border.NIA said on Tuesday that Bhatti and Sohail Baloch “recruited and radicalised the (Indian) accused through social media platforms and encrypted communication channels”.“As part of the conspiracy, operational modules were established in India and local operatives assigned to carry out grenade attacks on police establishments”, the agency said in a statement.Dheeraj, alias Dhiru, according to the NIA, was the principal India-based operative responsible for coordinating the attacks with local modules. “After reconnaissance of potential targets, the accused chose the women’s police station in Sirsa for the attack. The accused travelled to Amritsar to procure the grenade used in the attack from Gurjant (Singh),” it said.The federal anti-terror probe agency said the accused also recorded the attack on a mobile phone for dissemination and publicity.“The accused persons remained in touch with Pakistani handlers after the attack. The investigation established a chain of recruitment, financing, operational coordination, procurement of explosive substances and execution of the terrorist act by the accused acting on the Pakistan-based handler’s directions,” NIA said.