Amritsar:The audacious attack on Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal Wednesday morning has sent ripples through Punjab with police identifying the arrested shooter as a former Khalistani terrorist Narain Singh Chaura.
Chaura opened fire at Badal from a close range while the SAD leader was performing the duty of 'sewadar' outside the Golden Temple. A policeman in plainclothes, however, showed great agility, overpowering the attacker.
The attack was captured on cameras by media persons who had gathered outside the Sikh shrine to cover the second day of Badal's penance for "mistakes" committed by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
Television footage showed the shooter slowly walking towards Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, and pulling out a gun from his pocket. A police official in plain clothes standing near Badal quickly intervened and grabbed the attacker's hands. In the melee, a bullet hit the wall behind Badal, who escaped unhurt. Soon Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force members also intervened. Badal is a Z+ protectee.
Who is the shooter?
Chaura is a resident of Dera Baba Nanak and a former terrorist. After the attack, he was whisked away by security officials. Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the attack on Badal was foiled because of the alertness of police.
A police official noticed Chaura first as he is a former terrorist and has a criminal history. When he whipped out his weapon, the police official grabbed his hands and as a result, the bullet went upwards, the commissioner said.
"Narain Singh Chaura has been arrested and an FIR has been registered against him. The weapon used in the attack has been recovered," Bhullar said, adding that the case will be investigated from all angles.
The motive behind the attack will be ascertained after Chaura's questioning. He came alone to the Golden Temple, he said. Responding to a question, Bhullar said the security deployment at the shrine was sufficient. Police cannot carry out frisking because religious sentiments are involved, he said.
Wife of the Accused
Meanwhile, Jasmeet Kaur, wife of Narayan Singh Chaura, who is accused of attacking Sukhbir Badal, said that whatever her husband had done was wrong and that he had earlier served sentences in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana and Chandigarh jails. She said that she had no idea about the circumstances under which he took such a step.
Sub Inspector Kailash Singh of Dera Baba Nanak Police Station came to the house of accused Narayan Singh Chaura as part of the probe into the attack on Sukhbir Badal.
Narayan Singh was born on 04 April 1956 in Chaura village of Dera Baba Nanak (Gurdaspur). This Gurmakhyali was allegedly associated with Gurmakhyali Liberation Force and Akal Federation. Chaura was arrested from Jalalabad village of Tarn Taran on 28 February 2013 and his associates Sukhdev Singh and Gurinder Singh were arrested from Pandori village of the district on the same day.
About a dozen cases were registered against him under the Explosives Act at Civil Lines police station in Amritsar on 8 May 2010. He was also wanted in cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ropar districts. An Amritsar court had acquitted the accused in a case under the Explosives Act.
Chaura went to Pakistan in 1984 and played a key role in smuggling large consignments of arms and explosives into Punjab during the initial phase of terrorism. While in Pakistan, he reportedly wrote a book on guerrilla warfare and "anti-national" literature. He was also an accused in the Burail jailbreak case.
Security deployment at Golden Temple
Detailed security deployment had been made at the Golden Temple complex. Around 175 police personnel led by an assistant inspector general have been deployed there, he said. Badal is undergoing religious punishment announced by the Akal Takht. He continued his penance after the incident with a security ring thrown around him.
Holding a spear in one hand and dressed in blue 'sewadar' uniform, the SAD leader sat at the entrance of the Golden Temple. A small board hung around his neck, acknowledging his "misdeeds". The former deputy chief minister's wife and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal reached the Golden Temple to meet her husband.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh and SAD leaders strongly condemned the attack on Badal. Senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema, who is also undergoing religious punishment, demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the incident.
"For Punjab, this is a big incident. Where are we taking the state? I want to ask the Punjab chief minister where is Punjab headed. It is a 100 per cent failure of law and order. The chief minister should resign," he told reporters. "The attacker was nabbed at the spot. I thank the security personnel for acting swiftly," he said. Cheema demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
"We have been saying conspiracies are going on to finish the Akali leadership. The entire conspiracy needs to be unearthed," he said. Replying to a question, Cheema said if the accused had been roaming around since Tuesday, then what were the police and the administration waiting for? "I want to ask the Punjab DGP too. Someone will have to be held accountable," he said. (With agency inputs)
