Was the assassination attempt on Sukhbir Singh Badal a lone wolf attack or part of a larger conspiracy?
On December 4, Narain Singh Chaura, a known Khalistan terrorist, attempted to kill senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Badal at the Golden Temple in Amritsar but was overpowered in the nick of time, thus foiling the assassination bid.
As the investigations progress, questions are being asked about whether he was acting alone or at the behest of someone. The other aspect that has come into question is regarding the security lapse and how Chaura managed to get so close to Badal despite so much security around.
The Intelligence Bureau dossier on Chaura
Chaura, who was at first associated with the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), later became part of the Dal Khalsa. The dossier on him describes him as a ‘one man show.’
Although associated with the Dal Khalsa, he would often carry out his work on his own. His job was largely to spread the message about the Khalistan movement. In doing so, he would visit the Golden Temple regularly and meet with people who spoke about the movement. He was also a frequent visitor to media houses, where he would try to get his message across.
His movements were hard to track as he never used a cell phone. To converse with others, he would use someone’s cell phone or use the public booth. This was done so that he could not be tracked.
Chaura has always been on the radar of the Central agencies. The Punjab police too are aware of this man and hence it came as a surprise why no surveillance was on him.
Chaura was the mastermind of the Burail jailbreak in Chandigarh in 2014. He had helped four persons associated with the killing of former Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh escape from jail. Chaura, in addition to masterminding the escape, had turned off the lights in the prison when the four were about to get out. He had thrown a big iron chain on the main electricity wires outside the jail which disrupted power inside the prison. The inmates, who are members of Babbar Khalsa International, managed to escape by digging a tunnel.
The dossier mentions the cases against him and states that there were 25 of them related to terror and the Arms Act. He was, however, acquitted in 25 of them for want of evidence. A case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is still pending against him.
In 2010, he was granted bail in connection with the Burail case. However, he stopped appearing before court and hid in Uttar Pradesh. He would enter Punjab early in the morning and leave by dusk. He would meet with members of the Khalistan movement before retiring to UP. He had also procured a fake driving license in the name of Randheer Singh.
Lone wolf or larger conspiracy
The police are currently probing to find out if Chaura had acted alone or was he part of a larger conspiracy. Looking at his recent track record, it is evident that he may have acted alone. Further, his hatred for the SAD is no secret.
The dossier on him states that his first target had been Sukhbir Singh Badal’s father and former chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal. He had also attempted to assassinate former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh, but both operations failed.
Chaura, who was a religious preacher before joining the terror ranks, has made his views about the SAD and Badals very clear. His posts on social media are a clear indicator that he had acted alone and there was no one guiding him.
Last month, he wrote on Facebook, “the Sikh community has politically rejected the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) due to its grave misdeeds, and now the party is using the Akal Takht as a mean to revive its reputation. This party is an enemy of the Panth and no longer has the right to lead the Sikh community in the political arena. The Panth has already expressed its stance by rejecting this party from the political domain. Any attempt to absolve them of their wrongdoings through symbolic punishments will not be accepted by the Khalsa Panth.”
He had also questioned the lack of justice being meted out in sacrilege matters. He had posted messages justifying the murders in the sacrilege cases.
Sources in the Intelligence Bureau tell Organiser that from what they are gathering, it appears as though he had acted alone. The entire Khalistan movement and the possible revival in Punjab are associated with him since he is part of the movement. However, in recent times, he has been acting alone and going around his business as if he were a ‘one man show.’Hence for now, we have every reason to believe that this could be a lone wolf attack.
Security lapse?
The SAD has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to provide security to their leader. However, the Punjab police refused to accept that there was a security lapse.
Questions are being raised as to how Chaura, who has been declared as a proclaimed offender, never came under the radar. The central agencies have kept the police updated about Chaura on a regular basis. In fact, the police were also being updated about his movements. This has raised the question about a possible security lapse.
On one hand, he managed to roam around freely despite being declared a proclaimed offender; on the other, he got extremely close to Badal at the crowded Golden Temple.
The Punjab police said that they had managed to prevent a major mishap. The police did have some information about rogue elements assembling near the Golden Temple. Heavy police force had been deployed in the area, and it was due to quick action that Badal was saved, which the police have maintained.
On the question as to how he managed to get away scot-free and come so close to Badal, the police said that scores of people visit the Golden Temple, and it is hard to identify each one of them. However, the police also said they managed to avert a major mishap. On whether he is a lone wolf or part of a larger conspiracy, investigations would reveal that clearly.
A brief about Chaura
Chaura was a religious preacher before he joined the BKI during the peak of militancy in Punjab. After Operation Bluestar was launched in 1984, he fled to Pakistan.
From Pakistan, he ran a smuggling racket to ensure that arms and ammunition reached Punjab. He had also sent in explosives meant to be used by the Khalistan terrorists. A postgraduate in political science, Chaura had authored a book on guerrilla warfare and seditious literature.
Chaura, however, kept changing groups following his association with the BKI. He was also part of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and then went on to founded the Khalistan Liberation Army. In recent years, he has been associated with the Dal Khalsa.
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