Sukhbir Badal Attacked in Nanded: Who Is the 62-Year-Old Accused?
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked at a gurdwara in Nanded. The accused, identified as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh, had reportedly been serving at the gurdwara for around two years.
Nanded: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat in Nanded, Maharashtra, on August 13, 2026.
The accused has been identified as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh. According to reports, Singh had been working as a sewadar at the same gurdwara for nearly two years.
The incident took place as Sukhbir Singh Badal was leaving the gurdwara after paying obeisance. The attacker allegedly approached him with a sharp-edged weapon and attempted to attack him. Security personnel intervened immediately, preventing the situation from causing more serious harm. Badal sustained an injury to his hand, while a security personnel was also injured during the incident.
The accused was detained by police shortly after the incident. Investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the accused's background and the motive behind the incident.
The attack has raised fresh questions about security arrangements at religious sites and the protection provided to senior political leaders during public and religious visits.
This was not the first attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal. In December 2024, he survived an assassination attempt outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar while he was performing religious service.