CHANDIGARH: Narain Singh Chaura, a 68-year-old former Khalistani militant who shot at former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, has a long criminal history with 21 police cases registered against him. These include charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosives Act, and involvement in the 2004 Burail jailbreak case. However, he was acquitted in most of these cases.
Chaura, a farmer from Chaura Bajwa village in Gurdaspur’s Dera Baba Nanak block, has used multiple aliases, including Shamsher Singh, Chamkaur Singh, and Kapoor Singh Jamrodh. He has maintained contact with Jagtar Singh Hawara, the convicted assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who is currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail.
Key Role in Khalistani Activities
Chaura played a significant role in forming a 21-member committee led by Hawara in 2019 to address key Sikh issues, including the release of “Bandi Singhs” (Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences) and addressing the “failure of the Bargari Morcha.” A Punjab Police report links Chaura to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) leader Wadhawa Singh Babbar, based in Pakistan.
He was also associated with Rattandeep Singh, a Pakistan-based operative who has since died. In 2010, Chaura reportedly received a consignment of RDX recovered from a Maruti car in Amritsar. Arrested in this case in 2013, he was released on bail in 2018. The government had announced a ₹10 lakh reward for his capture.
Burail Jailbreak and Escape to Pakistan
Chaura gained notoriety for his involvement in the 2004 Burail jailbreak, where inmates, including Hawara, escaped. A retired Punjab police officer revealed that Chaura allegedly short-circuited the jail’s lights by throwing a chain over a transformer. He was acquitted in the jailbreak case in 2015. Police records indicate that he also conducted surveillance on Beant Singh’s family members before his 2013 arrest.
In 1984, Chaura escaped to Pakistan after forming the Khalistan Liberation Army. Upon returning to India, he worked as a preacher and was affiliated with the radical Akal Federation.
Family and Political Connections
Chaura’s elder son, Jagjit Singh, is an advocate, while his younger son, Bajinder Singh, is a farmer. His brother, Narinder Singh, is a Congress leader and multiple-term sarpanch of their village, though police emphasize he is not linked to Chaura’s militancy.
Criticism of Sukhbir Badal on Social Media
In a Facebook post on July 14, Chaura criticized the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Badals, claiming the Sikh community had rejected them due to their alleged misdeeds. He condemned attempts to exonerate them through religious punishment (“tankhah”) and referenced the backlash against the pardon granted to the Dera Sirsa chief under political pressure.
Despite his criminal record and time spent in jail, Chaura is not officially affiliated with Dal Khalsa, although he maintains close ties with the group.
