Overview
- The injury occurred on Thursday during a private visit to Mata Sahib Gurdwara in Nanded when a man described as a Nihang allegedly struck Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal with a kirpan.
- Badal was taken to Yashosai Hospital with a cut to his right hand that required stitches and was reported to be stable after treatment.
- Inspector Santosh Kendre from Badal’s security detail was also hurt while intervening and police immediately detained a man identified in reports as Jaspal Singh.
- Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a probe and police are reviewing CCTV and questioning the accused to establish motive and sequence of events.
- The attack renews scrutiny of VVIP protection at religious sites because Badal carries Z-plus security and this follows a December 2024 assassination attempt, and investigators will consider how armed religious orders such as Nihangs operate inside gurdwaras.