Sukhbir Badal discharged from Nanded hospital a day after attack

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was attacked with a ‘kirpan’ inside a gurdwara and had to undergo surgery, was discharged from a hospital in Maharashtra’s Nanded town on Friday, police said.

Mr. Badal was discharged around 1.30 p.m. and has left for the airport on his way to Punjab, a police official told PTI.

The former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister underwent surgery that lasted for about 90 minutes and was stable, doctors treating him had said in the morning.

Mr. Badal was attacked by a member of the Nihang order inside the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat on the outskirts of Maharashtra’s Nanded town on Thursday, according to the police.

Visuals showed Mr. Badal, who escaped an attempt on his life at the Golden Temple entrance in December 2024, walking inside a hospital building with a cloth wrapped around his right hand.

He was rushed to the Yashosai Hospital in Nanded, where doctors operated on him, said officials.

“The surgery lasted for an hour and a half. There was a tendon injury, and he had a sharp penetrating wound. His tendon was repaired. The plastic surgeon also repaired his ulnar artery nerve. He is out of danger,” a doctor from the hospital had said earlier.

After his discharge from the hospital, Mr. Badal went to the Nanded airport and will be flying back to Punjab, the official said.

According to police, they have yet to find out why the accused, Jaspal Singh, attacked Mr. Badal.

Mr. Singh, who holds commerce and law degrees and is based in Pune with his family, had been working as a sewadar or volunteer at the gurdwara for the past two years. The accused, aged 60-62 years, was staying alone in Nanded.

He has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, and voluntarily causing grievous hurt to a public servant to deter them from performing their duty.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal thanks PM Modi, Shah

MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Mr. Badal’s wife, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for extending their support.

In an X post on Friday (August 14), Ms. Badal said that she is grateful to Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah for, “taking immediate cognisance of the incident and directing central investigating agencies to coordinate with Maharashtra police in the probe.”

She further added, “Thank you for your commitment to ensuring an effective probe into this painful incident which is a grave violation of the fundamental tenets of the great Sikh religion.”

(With inputs from PTI)