A Murder, A Jailbreak And Attacks On Sukhbir Badal: How A Thread Binds The 3

The attack on Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in Maharashtra's Nanded this afternoon has triggered a fresh political and security debate in Punjab. The incident assumes significance since it is the second such attack on Badal within two years and coincides with the renewed political attention on the parole request by Jagtar Singh Hawara, a convict in former chief minister Beant Singh's assassination.

Hawara, who is serving a life sentence, is currently lodged in a jail in Delhi.

On Thursday, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria said he had recommended Hawara's parole on humanitarian grounds so that he could meet his 83-year-old ailing mother, Narinder Kaur. The recommendation followed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's request to the governor to facilitate a 10-day parole for Hawara.

Read: When Sukhbir Singh Badal Was Attacked Outside Golden Temple In 2024

A final decision on the parole request is still pending.

The latest attack on Badal has revived memories of the first attack on the Akali chief. On December 4, 2024, Narain Singh Chaura had allegedly opened fire at Badal while he was performing religious penance outside Golden Temple in Amritsar. Badal escaped unhurt after a security officer diverted the attacker's aim. Chaura was arrested at the spot.

Chaura's past has once again come under focus due to his alleged connection to the 2004 Burail jailbreak case. He was among those accused of helping Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara, Paramjit Singh Bheora and another undertrial, Devi Singh, escape through a tunnel.

Investigators had alleged that Chaura played a role in facilitating the escape and was in contact with Hawara around the time of the jailbreak. They had also claimed that Chaura and Hawara exchanged phone calls on the night of the escape.

However, in 2015, Chaura was acquitted in the jailbreak case after the prosecution failed to prove conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt. After the 2024 attack on Badal, he was arrested again but was granted bail by an Amritsar court in March next year. The court cited the period he had already spent in custody and the likelihood that the trial would take time.

Read: Sukhbir Badal Attacked With Kirpan By Nihang Sikh At Gurudwara In Maharashtra

Because of this background, the second attack on Badal is now being viewed through a wider political and security lens. No official link has been established between the two incidents, but the timing has intensified calls for a detailed investigation.

Senior Akali leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia has said the incident should not be viewed as an isolated attack. He alleged that there could be a larger conspiracy behind the repeated targeting of Badal and demanded a high-level investigation. Majithia has also questioned whether the earlier Golden Temple attack was probed properly and said agencies should examine all possible connections.

The parole issue has also received support from several political leaders, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann publicly backing Hawara's parole request. Former Union minister and Beant Singh's grandson Ravneet Singh Bittu has also urged the governor to grant Hawara a 10-day parole to meet his ailing mother.

Sukhbir Badal has not publicly taken a specific stand on Hawara's parole. However, he and the Akali Dal have long supported the release of Bandi Singhs, a term used for Sikh prisoners convicted or detained in cases related to the militancy period in Punjab, a category that includes Hawara.