SAD chief assailant a law graduate, ran snacks centre in Pune: Police

Pune police have revealed that the assailant who attacked SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal with a kirpan at a gurdwara in Nanded is a 62-year-old man named Jaspal Singh Teja Singh Aidal. Singh, a law graduate, had spent most of his life in Pune's Camp area before moving to Nanded two years ago for religious service.

Singh had tried various professions in Pune over the years, including practising law, running a newspaper, and operating a snacks centre in the Camp area for about three years before closing it down. His wife, a school teacher, and their nephew continued to live in their first-floor flat in the family home, while their married daughter resides in Lullanagar. Singh's family told police that he rarely contacted his relatives.

The crime branch questioned Singh's family to learn more about his background, and a team from the state Anti-Terrorism Squad visited his home in Solapur Bazaar area of Camp to search for any incriminating materials. However, no suspicious documents were found during the police investigation.

Singh had moved to Nanded in 2024 to perform 'seva' at Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara, accompanied by his wife and SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. The police are now investigating Singh's movements and activities between his relocation from Pune and the attack in Nanded to determine the motive behind the incident.