London - Over two months after the release of photographs featuring 45 individuals allegedly involved in the violence that occurred at the Indian High Commission in London during a protest on March 19, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has successfully identified 15 of them. The NIA is now preparing to forward their details to the immigration department in order to issue Look Out Circulars (LOC) against these individuals.
In a related development, the NIA has also pinpointed four individuals with affiliations to the Khalistan movement, who are believed to have targeted the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on July 2. Another NIA team is scheduled to visit Canada next month as part of its ongoing investigation into the Khalistani attack on the Indian High Commission in Canada.
In April, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs instructed the NIA to launch a new case regarding the London protests after preliminary investigations hinted at a possible terror connection involving Pakistan's ISI. Additionally, the ministry directed Delhi Police, which had registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, to transfer the investigation to the NIA.
In May, an NIA team visited the United Kingdom to gather evidence. Upon their return to India, they released five videos of the incident and called upon the general public to assist in identifying the suspects who attempted to vandalize the High Commission. The agency received more than 500 calls in response, according to sources.
An official from the Ministry of Home Affairs revealed that the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) also supported the NIA's investigative team in identifying the suspects. "With the assistance of crowdsourced information and collaboration with other agencies, the NIA has successfully identified 15 attackers, and they are in the process of issuing LOCs against them shortly," the official stated.
The FIR filed by complainant Kiran Kumar Vasant Bhosale, the assistant personnel and welfare officer at the High Commission, included the names of three individuals: Avtar Singh alias Khanda, Gurcharan Singh, and Jasvir Singh. "Khanda passed away in Birmingham in June, and the NIA is in communication with the relevant department to obtain his death certificate for inclusion in their case file," an official noted.
During its investigation, the NIA interrogated Amritpal Singh, the leader of the Waris Punjab De group, and nine of his associates who were incarcerated in Assam's Dibrugarh jail in connection with the UK incident. This move was prompted by evidence suggesting their communication with Khanda, who allegedly incited the protesters by chanting anti-India and pro-Khalistan slogans.