Sukhbir attacker Chaura’s remand extended by 3 days

Chaura was sent to a three-day police remand on December 5. He has been booked under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The local court here on Sunday extended by three days the police remand of former militant Narain Singh Chaura, who made an assassination bid on former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on December 4 when he was performing guard duty at the entrance of Golden Temple as part of his tankhah (religious punishment).

Former militant Narain Singh Chaura who made attempt to assassinate former Deputy CM and SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the entrance of Golden Temple on Wednesday, being produced by Punjab Police in the local court in Amritsar on Sunday. (Sameer Sehgal/Hindustan Times)

Chaura was produced in the court after his three-day remand ended on Saturday.

Chaura was sent to a three-day police remand on December 5. He has been booked under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under sections of the Arms Act.

READ | Union minister Ravneet Bittu sparks row with remarks hailing Sukhbir Badal's attacker: ‘Gem of community’

Punjab police had demanded a remand for 10 more days citing that the accused is a habitual offender and has as many as 31 cases registered against him.

The police said the accused had concealed weapons at a place at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, which are to be recovered, for which 10-day more remand is needed, said the sources.

The police added that Chaura, 68, has been active in the militancy and is a threat to peace in the state of Punjab.

Police on Saturday questioned both of Chaura’s sons -- Jagjit Singh Bajwa and Baljinder Singh Bajwa.

Amritsar police commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the questioning was done as part of the investigation, and police are looking into Chaura’s background, activities and links.

Defence counsel Advocate Jagdeep Singh Randhawa contended that his client was not even convicted in a single case.

He also said that the court had also accepted his plea for permission to meet his client.

Chaura, a known militant figure wanted in several terror-related cases, attempted to shoot Sukhbir, 62, from point-blank range while the former deputy chief minister was performing sewa (service) at the shrine’s entrance. The bullet missed Sukhbir after an alert police officer in plainclothes grabbed Chaura’s hand, causing the shot to hit a wall about 7 feet above Sukhbir’s head.