Kaithal grenade attack: High Court grants bail to minor accused; case dates back to 2025

July 18, 2026

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted bail to a juvenile accused in the Kaithal grenade attack case. The Court observed that an addiction to mobile phones or social media cannot be grounds for denying bail. This ruling was delivered under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The division bench clarified that bail can be withheld only under exceptional circumstances. The record revealed no concrete basis to suggest that the juvenile’s release would pose any danger.

The Court also rejected the lower courts’ argument that the father’s death meant a lack of parental supervision; it stated that the demise of one parent does not automatically lead to the conclusion that there is no one left in the family to provide care.

The State government failed to substantiate this claim. The juvenile has no prior criminal record and has been in custody for one year, two months, and 12 days.

The Case Details
An explosion occurred behind a police post in Kaithal on April 6, 2025, which was identified as a grenade attack. A juvenile, aged 17 years and 10 months, was arrested on April 18. The investigation uncovered claims made on social media attributing responsibility for the attack to Babbar Khalsa. The petitioner argued that excessive internet usage alone cannot be construed as evidence of a link to a banned organization.