Assassination Bid On Sukhbir Badal: Shooter Narain Singh Chaura Faces Multiple Cases Across Punjab

Chandigarh: The shooter who opened fire at the senior Akali leader Sukhbir Badal while he was performing his duty of 'sevadar' at the gate of Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday, has been identified as Narain Singh Chaura, a former Khalistani militant who faces several cases across Punjab and has been in jail several times since mid-2000.

According to media reports, Chaura, who had crossed over to Pakistan in 1984 post Operation Blue Star, was a trained terrorist who had visited Pakistan thrice, before he returned to India in 1995, who has also written books on Sikh militancy.

He was also prime suspect in the former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination case and also involved in the 2004 Chandigarh’s Burail jail-break case when Beant Singh assassin Jagtar Singh Hawara, along with Paramjit Singh Bheora, Jagtar Singh Tara and Devi had escaped from the jail by digging a tunnel.

The media reports said that Chaura faced around 30 cases under explosives Act and unlawful activities (prevention) Act in different parts of the state. He was arrested in several cases and jailed since mid-2000 and got bail in some cases.

Meanwhile, Wednesday’s incident stunned the village Chaura of Dera Baba Nanak town of Gurdaspur district, where Narain Singh Chaura hailed, as people were seen reluctant to speak about him after the news spread. Some people, however, held that all knew his past as militant, but claimed that he never discussed such issues with anybody.