Who Is Narayan Singh Chaura, Khalistani Militant Who Shot At Sukhbir Singh Badal?

Sukhbir Singh Badal, former Deputy CM of Punjab, narrowly escaped assassination at Amritsar's Golden Temple. The assailant, Narain Singh Chaura, a former militant, was arrested.

Sukhbir Singh Badal (left) and Narain Singh Chaura.

Source : PTI/Special Arrangement

Former Deputy CM of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal narrowly escaped an assassination bid when he was fired upon at the Amritsar Golden Temple gates on Wednesday, December 4. Sukhbir Singh Badal is serving 'tankhaiya', or religious punishment, at the Golden Temple for "sins" committed during the Shiromani Akali Dal's tenure in Punjab. The person shooting him was immediately overpowered by onlookers and arrested by the police. The shooter was identified as a former militant, Narain Singh Chaura.

Narain Singh Chaura — Key Khalistani Leader?

• Narain Singh is a former militant, who is infamous for forming the separatist militant organisation Khalistan Liberation Army and association with the Akal Federation. He was a key leader in the seditious movement to demand Khalistan.
• Narain Singh is from Punjab's Chaura village in the Gurdaspur district. The militant was accused of carrying out several terror attacks in Punjab.
• In 1984, Narain Singh allegedly went to Pakistan and helped in the smuggling of huge caches of arms and ammunition. He returned to India two years later and again escaped to Pakistan. He finally came back in 1989.
• He allegedly orchestrated the Burail jailbreak in 2004. In that daring jailbreak, militants from the Babbar Khalsa International terrorists Jagtar Singh Hawara, Paramjit Singh Bheora, Jagtar Singh Tara, and Devi Singh had fled by digging a tunnel.
• Narain Singh was caught near the boundary wall of the jail with a gun. However, he was granted bail in 2005. He then stopped appearing in court and responding to summonses. Singh was then declared a proclaimed offender.
• Narain Singh allegedly continued his militant activities, helping smuggle arms and ammunition into India and in their distribution in Punjab.
• Narain Singh Chaura was arrested in 2013. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from him back then.