Chandigarh/Amritsar, 4 December 2024 – The man who attempted to shoot Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday has been identified as Narayan Singh Chaura, a former ‘Khalistani’ militant with a long history of militancy.
According to Punjab Police, Chaura, a former chief of the Akal Federation, received militant training in Pakistan, where he reportedly visited three times before returning to India in 1995.
"Chaura’s criminal record spans decades and includes serious offenses related to militancy and unlawful activities," said Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar.
Chaura was previously suspected of involvement in the 1995 assassination of then-Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
He also allegedly played a role in the dramatic 2004 Burail Jail escape, where Babbar Khalsa International chief Jagtar Singh Hawara and four other undertrials tunneled out of the prison.
Chaura’s history includes around 30 cases, some under the Explosives Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in districts like Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ropar.
He was arrested in 2013 from Jalalabad village in Tarn Taran but had been out on bail since then.
Police believe Chaura played a key role in smuggling weapons and explosives into Punjab during the early years of militancy, having crossed over to Pakistan in 1984. "During his time in Pakistan, Chaura authored books on guerrilla warfare and Sikh militancy," added a senior police officer.