Police investigating if Sukhbir was targeted in ‘lone wolf’ attack or part of conspiracy

“Even at the age of 68, he shows no sign of slowing down or toning down his extremist temperament. What we want to know from him is that if he planned the entire thing on his own or whether he had been put up by someone else,” a police officer said.

Investigations into the 9mm pistol that was recovered from Chaura have also been conducted to find out how it came to be in his possession. Chaura has reportedly told his interrogators that he had kept this one weapon with him out of a previous cache of weapons that he had. Such automatic weapons can be found in consignments that come from across the Pakistan border but they are also found to be made locally at several places within India, said an officer.

Officers said that the previous track record of Chaura points towards his tendency to act on his own but nothing can be said for certain at this stage. “It is too early to say anything but prima facie it appears to be a ‘lone wolf’ plan and attack,” an officer said.

Amritsar Commissioner of Police GPS Bhullar had told media persons on Wednesday that all possible angles were being inquired into including if this attack could have been planned to gather sympathy. Police claim that there are intelligence reports which say that there is widespread anger among a section of the Sikh populace over the admissions of guilt by Sukhbir Singh Badal before the Akal Takht on December 2 with regard to allegations of helping Dera Sacha Sauda and Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

“The anger against Dera due to perceptions of involvement in untoward incidents in the state is a reality. And the fact that Sukhbir admitted to many wrongs has attracted a lot of ire against him,” an official remarked.

Meanwhile, police has tightened the security measures at all Gurdwaras where the Akali leaders are to perform their penance after the announcement of punishment by Akal Takht. Uniformed as well as plain clothes policemen have been deployed in several tiers to ensure that there is no repeat of the Amritsar incident.

The occurrence of a ‘blast’ at Majitha police station last evening has also added another dimension to the ongoing investigation. While the SSP Amritsar (Rural) Charanjit Singh termed the blast as ‘tyre burst’, US-based gangsters-turned-terrorist Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Pashia, Gopi Nawanshehria and Jeevan Fauji have claimed responsibility for a grenade attack.

Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia has also been released CCTV footage alleging that an SP-rank Punjab Police officer was seen chatting with Chaura outside the Golden Temple a day before the attack on Badal. He released another CCTV footage on Thursday alleging that the same SP in-charge of security arrangements at Golden Temple was sipping tea in a SGPC office at the Golden Temple complex when the attack Sukhbir took place.

The police have also taken a dim view of the statement issued by Congress MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, after the attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal where he claimed that it was ‘kudrati insaaf’ (natural justice) for those who were blameworthy of excesses. “Such statements can incite passions and also appear to be condoning an act of violence,” said an official.

Chaura sent to 3-day police remand

A court in Amritsar on Thursday sent Chaura to three-day police remand, officers said.

The Punjab Police demanded seven-day remand for Chaura, but the court granted three days, a defence counsel told reporters in Amritsar. Chaura will be produced before the court again on December 8.

The counsel said Chaura has been booked under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Arms Act.

While seeking remand, police said it wanted to find out from where Chaura procured the weapon used in the crime. Police also said it wanted to ascertain the motive behind the attack.