New Delhi: Hours before the attempted attack on Sukhbir Badal Wednesday, Punjab Police had intensified security and surveillance measures at the Golden Temple in the wake of “inputs” on the possibility of disruptions to law and order around the holy shrine, ThePrint has learnt.
Senior police officers aware of the matter confirmed to ThePrint that deployment had been increased at the Golden Temple not only because of the presence of the former deputy chief minister and other senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders, but also based on information about some religious groups looking to create some mischief and disturb law and order.
The Akal Takht, the highest Sikh religious decision-making body, had declared Badal and a number of other SAD leaders, such as Bibi Jagir Kaur, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Surjit Singh, Bikramjeet Singh Majithia, ‘tankhaiya’ (a sinner, guilty of religious misconduct) for violating Sikh religious rules during the decade-long SAD government in the state.
On Wednesday, Badal was performing the duty of a sewadar at the Golden Temple as part of punishment meted out by the Akal Takht when a man, identified as 68-year-old Narain Singh Chaura, attempted to shoot him using a pistol hidden in his waist. However, three police personnel deployed to provide security to the SAD leader overpowered Chaura and prevented the attack.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar told the press Wednesday, “Our deployment and alertness of deployed personnel foiled the attempt to carry out the attack.”
He added: “We had an intensive security arrangement in place led by an Assistant Inspector General of Police accompanied by two Superintendents of Police and an equal number of Deputy Superintendents of Police along with 175 personnel in plainclothes.”
While Bhullar did not confirm the inputs related to threats against Badal or other SAD leaders, he told the press that security is increased for a protectee only after threats are made against them.
‘Personal grudge, sympathy angle as motive also being probed’
Senior officials who know about Chaura’s criminal record told ThePrint that he was a member of the terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) during the height of the militancy in the state.
He has 21 cases against him, a majority of which are under stringent laws, such as Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and Arms Act, officials told ThePrint.
Currently headed by Wadhwa Singh, BKI was banned as a terrorist organisation by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for its alleged role in several terrorist attacks, including the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995.
Sources in Punjab Police said that Chaura is being interrogated over his motive by investigators under several angles, including any personal reasons. They further said the intelligence and CCTV footage are being thoroughly scrutinised for the possibility of the involvement of more people.
“The assailant has been arrested and taken into custody. He is being quizzed on several aspects of the offence such as the source of the weapon, any personal grudge against Sukhbir Singh Badal or his family and to ascertain if there were other people too who helped him in carrying out the attempted attack,” a senior police officer told ThePrint, requesting anonymity.
In a video statement, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said investigators are exploring several angles including any organisational or political motives.
Bhullar added that the “sympathy” angle was also being probed.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)