Archive · 15 Aug 2026
Badal attack accused remanded to police custody till August 24
Sukhbir Singh Badal is a very important leader of a political group in India called the Shiromani Akali Dal.
He was at a special place of worship called a gurdwara when a man named Jaspal Singh hurt him with a knife.
The police caught Jaspal Singh right after it happened.
Sukhbir hurt his arm, so doctors at a local hospital treated him, and then he flew to a big city called Delhi.
A judge at a court in Mudkhed said Jaspal Singh must stay with the police until August 24.
The police asked Jaspal Singh lots of questions, but they still do not know why he did what he did.
Badal thinks the attack was meant to hurt Punjab and India, and many leaders, including the Prime Minister, said the attack was wrong.
This was the second time Badal was attacked in recent years.
The police will keep questioning Jaspal Singh to find out more about what happened.
Jaspal Singh, accused of attacking Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, was remanded in police custody till August 24 by the Mudkhed Court in Nanded on Friday.
Badal was attacked with a dagger inside Mata Sahib Gurdwara in Maharashtra's Nanded on Thursday, despite having Z-plus security cover.
Badal suffered a four-to-five centimetre wound on his right forearm and was treated at a local hospital before flying to Delhi on Friday afternoon.
Singh, a 62-year-old sevadar at the gurdwara for around two years, was nabbed immediately after the attack, but police have yet to find any concrete reason for his act.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and leaders across parties condemned the assault, while Badal said the attack was meant to 'destabilise' Punjab and India.
The attack was the second major one on Badal in recent years, following an attempted shooting at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in December 2024.
- Who
- Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and accused 62-year-old Jaspal Singh; the Mudkhed Court in Nanded.
- What
- Jaspal Singh was remanded in police custody till August 24 for allegedly attacking Badal with a dagger.
- When
- The attack occurred Thursday; the remand order was given on Friday.
- Where
- Mata Sahib Gurdwara, Mudkhed and Nanded in Maharashtra; Badal later flew to Delhi.
- Why
- Police have yet to find any concrete reason for the act, though Badal claimed the attack aimed to 'destabilise' Punjab and India.
Badal and political leaders' view
Police investigation view
Motive behind the attack
Badal and political leaders' view
Badal said the attack was done by 'anti-national and anti-Punjab elements' to destabilise Punjab and India.
Police investigation view
Police interrogated Singh for hours but had yet to find any concrete reason for his act.
Z-plus security effectiveness
Badal and political leaders' view
The attack occurred despite Z-plus security, marking the second major attack on Badal in recent years, raising questions about his safety.
Police investigation view
Singh was nabbed immediately after the attack and injuries were limited, with security personnel helping to prevent more serious harm.
Political-religious context
Badal and political leaders' view
The attack follows the December 2024 Golden Temple shooting attempt, which came after Akal Takht declared Badal a 'tankhaiya', linking the incidents to ongoing religious-political tensions.
Police investigation view
No evidence has been produced connecting the attack to the tankhaiya declaration; police have yet to establish a motive or wider political dimension.
- Accused
- Jaspal Singh, 62, a sevadar at the gurdwara for around two years
- Victim
- Sukhbir Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister
- Remand
- Police custody till August 24 by Mudkhed Court
- Attack location
- Mata Sahib Gurdwara, Nanded, Maharashtra
- Injuries
- Four-to-five centimetre wound on right forearm; SPU officer also injured
- Security
- Z-plus security cover in place during attack
- Investigations
- No concrete motive found; Fadnavis ordered an inquiry into the incident and motive
- Previous attack
- Attempted shooting at Golden Temple, Amritsar, in December 2024
