The investigation into the murderous attack on SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal continued for the second day on Thursday with efforts being made to ascertain whether accused Narayan Singh Chaura was the ‘lone wolf’ assailant or whether there was an elaborate conspiracy behind the entire incident.
Senior police officers spoken to by The Indian Express revealed that Chaura had a very high level of ideological motivation with separatist tendencies as demonstrated by his consistent conduct over the past three decades.
“Even at the age of 68, he shows no signs of slowing down or toning down his extremist nature. What we want to know from him is whether he planned the whole thing himself or he was set up by someone else,” said a police official.
An investigation is also underway as to how the nine mm pistol recovered from Chaura came with him. Chaura told the interrogator that he kept this one of the previous weapons he had with him. Such automatic weapons can be found in consignments coming from across the border in Pakistan but are also locally manufactured in several places inside India, an official said.
Officials said Chaura’s previous track record indicated a tendency to act on his own, but nothing definite could be said at this stage. “It is too early to say anything but initially it appears to be a ‘lone wolf’ plan and attack,” an official said.
Amritsar Police Commissioner GPS Bhullar told mediapersons on Wednesday that all possible angles are being investigated to see if the attack could have been planned to garner sympathy. Police claim intelligence reports that there is widespread anger among a section of the Sikh population over Sukhbir Singh Badal’s guilty plea on December 2 at Akal Takht in connection with allegations of aiding Dera Sacha Sauda and Gurmeet Ram Rahim. .
“The anger against the Dera is a reality because of its perception of involvement in untoward incidents in the state. And the fact that Sukhbir has admitted to many wrongdoings has attracted a lot of anger against him,” an official remarked.
Meanwhile, after the Akal Takht announced the punishment, police have tightened security at all gurdwaras where Akali leaders perform penance. Uniformed and plain-clothed policemen have been deployed at various levels to prevent a repeat of the Amritsar incident.
The ‘explosion’ incident at the Majitha police station last night has also added another dimension to the ongoing investigation. SSP Amritsar (Rural) Charanjit Singh termed the blast as a ‘tyre burst’ while US-based gangster-turned-terrorists Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Pasia, Gopi Nawanseharia and Jeevan Fauji claimed responsibility for the grenade attack.
Senior Akali leader Vikram Singh Majithia has also released CCTV footage which allegedly shows an SP-rank Punjab Police officer conversing with Chaura outside the Golden Temple a day before the attack on Badal. He released another CCTV footage on Thursday which showed the same SP in charge of security arrangements at the Golden Temple allegedly drinking tea at the SGPC office in the Golden Temple complex when Sukhveer was attacked.
The police also took a dim view of the statement issued by Bholath Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira after the attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal, where he claimed ‘Kudrati Insaf’ (natural justice) for the perpetrators. . “Such statements can incite passion and even appear to condone acts of violence,” an official said.
Chaura has been sent to police custody for 3 days
A court in Amritsar sent Chaura to three-day police custody on Thursday, officials said.
Punjab police had remanded Chaura for seven days but the court granted three days, a defense lawyer told reporters in Amritsar. Chaura will be presented in court again on November 8.
The lawyer said Chaura was being tried under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Judicial Code and related sections of the Arms Act.
While being detained, the police said that they wanted to find out from where Chaura got the weapon used in the crime. The police also said that they want to find out the reason for the attack.