2 weeks ago

Sukhbir Badal Attack 'Attempt to Kill', FIR Reveals

A man tried to hurt an important leader in India named Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Mr. Badal leads a political party called the Shiromani Akali Dal and used to be the Deputy Chief Minister of the state of Punjab.

He was visiting a Sikh house of worship, called a Gurudwara, in the city of Nanded.

A person who pretended to be a worshipper came close to him and suddenly attacked him with a small knife called a kirpan, aiming at his chest.

A brave police officer named Santosh Vaijnath Kendre stopped the attacker before he could hurt Mr. Badal badly.

Mr. Badal only got a small cut on his hand, while the police officer got cuts on his hands too.

The attacker, a lawyer from Pune named Jaspal Singh Teja Singh Aidal, then said "I surrender" and was arrested.

Police wrote in their official report, called an FIR, that the attack was an "attempt to kill" Mr. Badal.

Mr. Badal had arrived in Nanded on August 12 and was visiting the Gurudwara as part of his programme.

Key facts

Victim: Sukhbir Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab
Incident: Attack with a kirpan, registered in the FIR as an "attempt to kill"
Location: Gurudwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat complex, Nanded, Maharashtra
Time of attack: Around 1:50 pm
Injuries: Minor injury to Badal's hand; Inspector Kendre injured on the palm and fingers of his right hand and the index finger of his left hand
Accused: Jaspal Singh Teja Singh Aidal, lawyer from Pune
Accused details: Nihang Sikh, moved to Nanded in 2024, serving as sevadar for nearly two years
Security: Led by an ASP-rank officer with Punjab Police personnel; Maharashtra Police deployed PSI/PI-level officers and 11 other personnel

NDTV · 2 weeks ago