Archive · 14 Aug 2026
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.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, was attacked at around 1:50 pm at the Gurudwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat complex in Nanded.
The FIR states the attack by a man posing as a devotee was an "attempt to kill" Badal.
Inspector Santosh Vaijnath Kendre of the Maharashtra Police security team intervened when the attacker aimed a kirpan at Badal's chest, foiling the attack.
Badal suffered a minor injury to his hand, while Inspector Kendre was injured on the palm and fingers of his right hand and the index finger of his left hand.
The accused, Jaspal Singh Teja Singh Aidal, a lawyer from Pune and a Nihang Sikh serving as a sevadar in Nanded, was arrested after saying "I surrender".
- Who
- Sukhbir Singh Badal, chief of the Shiromani Akali Dal and former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, was the target; the accused is Jaspal Singh Teja Singh Aidal, a lawyer from Pune.
- What
- A man posing as a devotee attacked Badal with a kirpan inside the Gurudwara complex, and the FIR describes it as an "attempt to kill".
- When
- The attack took place at around 1:50 pm on Thursday, during Badal's visit; he had arrived in Nanded at around 4:45 pm on August 12.
- Where
- Gurudwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat complex in Nanded, Maharashtra.
- Why
- The FIR states the attack was an "attempt to kill" Badal; no motive is reported in the article.
- 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