Punjab former deputy CM survives by raising his hand; Kirpan allegedly aimed at Sukhbir Badal’s chest

Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was injured after a Nihang Sikh allegedly attacked him with a kirpan at Gurdwara Mata Sahib in Maharashtra’s Nanded district. The accused was immediately overpowered and taken into custody by security personnel and police present at the scene.

According to preliminary findings of the police investigation, the accused, identified as Jaspal Singh, allegedly attempted to stab Sukhbir Badal in the chest in what investigators are treating as an attempt to murder. As the attacker swung the kirpan toward him, Badal reportedly raised his hand in self-defence, causing the weapon to strike his arm instead of his chest.

Doctors treating the SAD chief said he suffered a deep cut of around 5 cm on his hand, and 8 to 9 stitches were required.

Police said the attacker was preparing to strike again when Inspector Santosh Vaijnath Kendre of the Maharashtra Police’s Special Protection Unit intervened. Kendre reportedly put his own hand forward to stop the second blow and sustained injuries while helping restrain the attacker.

Nanded Superintendent of Police Nilabh Rohan said that during questioning, the accused claimed he was angry over the issue of drugs in Punjab, which he cited as the reason for targeting Sukhbir Badal.

Meanwhile, Baba Jagga Singh of the gurdwara management said that Jaspal Singh had been serving at the gurdwara for the past two years and was mentally unstable. He also revealed that the accused had studied law.

Following the incident, Harsimrat Kaur Badal met Inspector Santosh Kendre and expressed gratitude for his courage in protecting her husband. In a social media post, she praised the officer for acting as a human shield between Sukhbir Badal and the attacker and said he had demonstrated the true spirit of public service by putting duty before personal safety.

In a related development, Sukhbir Singh Badal has sought exemption from personal appearance in a defamation case pending before a Chandigarh court. Through his lawyer, he informed the court that he had been injured in the Nanded attack and was therefore unable to appear on August 14 because of the injury to his hand.

Police have registered a case, and further investigation into the incident is continuing.