NIA charges 9 in Sirsa women's police station grenade attack, 2 Pakistanis named
Synopsis
The NIA has named two Pakistan-based handlers — including gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti — alongside seven Indian operatives in the November 2025 grenade attack on Sirsa's women's police station. The charge sheet reveals a cross-border conspiracy using encrypted apps, social media radicalisation, and a documented chain from recruitment to execution, with investigators still pursuing foreign financial links and absconding suspects.
Key Takeaways
The NIA filed a charge sheet against nine accused in the Sirsa Women's Police Station grenade attack of 25 November 2025 .
Two Pakistani nationals — Shahzad Bhatti and Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch — are named as Pakistan-based handlers.
Accused charged under the UAPA , BNS , and the Explosive Substances Act ; charge sheet filed before the Special NIA Court, Panchkula .
The attack was reportedly orchestrated by Shahzad Bhatti , described as a Pakistani gangster-turned-terrorist, using encrypted communication channels and social media to recruit Indian operatives.
The grenade was procured from Amritsar ; the attack was recorded on a mobile phone for dissemination.
NIA is continuing to probe foreign financial linkages and is tracking absconding accused.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against nine accused — including two Pakistani nationals — in connection with the grenade attack on the Sirsa Women's Police Station in Haryana on 25 November 2025, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday, 26 May 2025. The charge sheet has been filed before the Special NIA Court in Panchkula.
Who Has Been Charged
The two Pakistani nationals named in the charge sheet are Shahzad Bhatti and Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch, both identified as handlers based in Pakistan. The seven Indian nationals charged are Dheeraj alias Dhiru, Vikas alias Vikky, Sandeep alias Daimar, Vikas, Sushil alias Sillu, Md. Sijaan alias Sijaan 'Ghazi', and Gurjant Singh. The accused have been charged under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Explosive Substances Act.
How the Attack Was Planned
According to NIA investigators, the attack was part of a broader conspiracy orchestrated by Shahzad Bhatti, described as a Pakistani gangster-turned-terrorist, with the stated aim of creating terror by targeting police establishments and personnel across India. Bhatti and Sohail Ahmad reportedly recruited and radicalised the Indian operatives through social media platforms and encrypted communication channels.
Bhatti is said to have established operational modules inside India and directed local operatives to execute grenade attacks on police targets. Dheeraj served as his principal India-based operative, coordinating the attacks with local modules, according to the NIA's statement. After conducting reconnaissance of potential targets, the accused selected the Women Police Station, Sirsa for the attack.
Procurement and Execution
Investigators found that the accused travelled to Amritsar to procure the grenade used in the attack from Gurjant Singh. Notably, the attack carried out on 25 November 2025 was recorded on a mobile phone by the accused for the purpose of dissemination and publicity — a tactic increasingly associated with cross-border terror modules seeking to amplify impact through social media.
The NIA probe further established that the accused remained in contact with the Pakistan-based handler and his aides even after the attack, creating a documented chain covering recruitment, financing, operational coordination, procurement of explosives, and execution of the terrorist act.
Investigation Status and What Comes Next
'NIA, which has extensively probed various digital, electronic, documentary, and forensic evidence, is continuing to investigate the larger conspiracy, along with other foreign linkages and financial channels, involved in the case,' officials said. Efforts are also under way to track absconding accused who are yet to be apprehended. This case forms part of a wider pattern of Pakistan-linked handlers using encrypted platforms to activate sleeper modules within India — a trend the NIA has flagged in multiple recent charge sheets.
Point of View
Social-media radicalisation, and video documentation of the attack for propaganda — a template the NIA has now documented in multiple cases. The naming of a Pakistani handler as a 'gangster-turned-terrorist' reflects a deliberate investigative framing that links organised crime networks to state-adjacent terror activity. What remains unresolved — and what the NIA itself flags — is the financial chain. Until foreign funding routes are traced and prosecuted, charge sheets against ground-level operatives address the symptom rather than the architecture. The absconding accused also represent a live operational risk.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the nine accused charged by the NIA in the Sirsa grenade attack?
The nine accused include two Pakistani nationals — Shahzad Bhatti and Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch — who are identified as handlers, and seven Indian nationals: Dheeraj alias Dhiru, Vikas alias Vikky, Sandeep alias Daimar, Vikas, Sushil alias Sillu, Md. Sijaan alias Sijaan 'Ghazi', and Gurjant Singh. The charge sheet was filed before the Special NIA Court in Panchkula.
What was the Sirsa women's police station attack?
A grenade attack was carried out on the Women's Police Station in Sirsa, Haryana, on 25 November 2025. According to NIA investigations, the attack was planned by a Pakistan-based handler to create terror by targeting police establishments in India, and was recorded on a mobile phone for dissemination.
What charges have been filed against the accused?
The accused have been charged under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Explosive Substances Act. These charges reflect the alleged terrorist nature of the conspiracy and the use of explosive substances.
How did the Pakistan-based handlers recruit the Indian operatives?
According to NIA findings, Shahzad Bhatti and Sohail Ahmad recruited and radicalised the Indian accused through social media platforms and encrypted communication channels. Bhatti is said to have established operational modules inside India and directed local operatives, with Dheeraj serving as the principal India-based coordinator.
Is the NIA investigation still ongoing?
Yes. The NIA has stated it is continuing to probe the larger conspiracy, including foreign financial linkages and other cross-border connections. Efforts are also under way to trace and apprehend absconding accused who have not yet been arrested.
