• Source:JND
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The Punjab Police has conducted raids at the house of Narayan Singh Chaura, who fired at Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at Golden Temple in Amritsar. The raid took place in the Sahib Nagar locality, near Gurudwara Sri Chola Sahib in Dera Baba Nanak. Narayan Singh Chaura is the head of the Akal Federation and a member of the Havara 21-member committee.

During the raid, his wife, Bibi Jasmeet Kaur (also known by the name Jaswant Kaur), was present at the house. 

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Kaur said that she was unaware of the incident till reporters reached her home and questioned her. She said Chaura told her that he was going to attend a death anniversary program. 

"He went today saying that he had to attend a death anniversary program in Amritsar. I didn't know what had happened until the reporters came knocking at my door. Earlier, he was lodged in jails in Amritsar, Ludhiana and Gurdaspur...I don't think (what he did was right)," she said. 

Chaura was on intel radar since his return from Pakistan

Central intelligence agencies have been keeping track of Narain Singh Chaura ever since his return from Pakistan, as he is linked with several radical organisations. 

“He was involved in smuggling of weapons and explosives into Punjab during the early years of militancy. He reportedly crossed into Pakistan in 1984 and remained there for several years before he returned to Punjab. During his stay in Pakistan, he was remotely in touch with radical organizations in Punjab and helping them," news agency ANI reported citing a senior official. 

Chaura played a pivotal role in the Burail jailbreak, during which Babbar Khalsa terrorist Jagtar Hawara and his associates were freed. He allegedly threw a large iron chain onto the main electricity wires outside the jail, causing a disruption in the power supply inside.

“Chaura was on the radar of Central intelligence agencies since he came out on bail in the year 2018. The agencies kept Punjab Police updated about his movement and the activities he was involved in," the official added.

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Meanwhile, an alert has been issued across Punjab after the attack on Sukhbir Badal. Punjab leaders, including PPCC chief Raja Warring and Union Minister Ravneet Bittu, have condemned the attack.