Jalandhar YouTuber attack accused opens fire on Punjab Police team, shot in leg

Mar 18, 2025 01:10 PM IST

Hardik Kamboj, 21, who was arrested in Yamunanagar for hurling an explosive on YouTuber Rozer Sandhu’s house on Sunday, was brought to Jalandhar for weapon recovery when he opened fire on Punjab Police team only to be injured in retaliatory action.

The prime accused behind the hurling of a “grenade-like object” on the house of a Jalandhar-based YouTuber on Sunday was shot in the leg on Tuesday when he opened fire at the police that brought him to the city for weapon recovery after arresting him in Yamunanagar district of Haryana.

The Punjab Police team at the encounter site in Jalandhar on Tuesday. Accused Hardik Kamboj opened fire on the police when brought for weapon recovery to Jalandhar. (HT Photo)

Hardik Kamboj, 21, was brought to Jalandhar and taken for weapon recovery when he opened fire on the police but sustained a bullet injury as the team retaliated, police said.

He had hurled the explosive at the house of YouTuber Rozer Sandhu on Sunday. However, it did not explode. Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging the YouTuber was abusing Islam.

In a post shared on X, Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav said: “Acting on credible intelligence, Jalandhar rural police apprehended Hardik Kamboj, the prime accused in the attack on a #YouTuber. The accused, arrested yesterday (Monday) from #Yamunanagar, Haryana, attempted to flee during the recovery operation in the Maqsudan police station area. In self-defence, the police party took action, resulting in a leg injury to the accused. He was immediately provided medical assistance and taken to the civil hospital, Jalandhar.”

The .32-bore pistol with which Kamboj attacked the police team and six live rounds were confiscated

Senior superintendent of police (Jalandhar rural) Gurmeet Singh told reporters that Kamboj was arrested from Bihta village in Bilaspur sub division of Yamunanagar on Monday evening.

During questioning, he confessed to his involvement in Sunday’s attack. He was brought for weapon recovery in Jalandhar on Tuesday morning, the SSP said. During the recovery, the accused picked up the weapon and opened fire at the police team that retaliated, injuring him in the leg.

The police are investigating the involvement of another person in the attack, the SSP said, adding Kamboj was given ₹25,000 for throwing the “grenade-like object” on Sandhu’s house.