According to the prosecution, during a scuffle between Chaura and security personnel, a gunshot was fired into the air. However, no injuries were reported.
Amritsar, Punjab: 25th March, A court in Amritsar has granted bail to 69-year-old Narain Singh Chaura, who was accused of opening fire at former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal near the Golden Temple in December 2024. The court directed Chaura to furnish bonds worth Rs 1 lakh along with a surety of the same amount.
Chaura was booked under Section 109 (attempt to murder) and Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, along with Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. The alleged incident took place near Ghanta Ghar when Badal was performing a religious punishment imposed by the Akal Takht.
According to the prosecution, during a scuffle between Chaura and security personnel, a gunshot was fired into the air. However, no injuries were reported.
Chaura’s legal team—Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, Baljinder Singh Bajwa, and J S Randhawa—argued that he was falsely implicated in the case.
They stated that “he had been in custody for over three and a half months” and that the trial would take a long time to conclude.
His lawyers also pointed out that the police had “not yet recorded Badal’s statement“, which they claimed “raised doubts about the prosecution’s case“.
Additional Public Prosecutor Seema Sandhu opposed the bail, emphasizing the seriousness of the charges against Chaura. She argued that the case involved an attack on a senior political leader and required thorough investigation.
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The court acknowledged that since “no injuries were reported in the incident“, there was room to grant bail. It also noted that “forensic reports, CCTV footage analysis, and other investigative processes were still pending” and that the trial would take time.
Granting bail, Additional Sessions Judge Sumit Ghai imposed several conditions on Chaura:
- “He must not influence any witnesses.”
- “He cannot leave the country without prior permission from the court.”
- “He must attend all court hearings as required.”
The judge also clarified that “the observations made in the bail order would not influence the final outcome of the trial.”
