The Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 31 locations across the North-Indian states of Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday in an attempt to capture the culprits of the 19 March attack on the Indian High Commission in London.
The searches were carried out by NIA to search and identify people involved in the attack by pro-Khalistani elements, and unravel the bigger conspiracy behind the attack.
NIA Raids in Punjab and Haryana
In its statement, NIA said, “It has been carrying out extensive investigations into the incident with a view to ensuring there is no repeat of such breach of security, disrespect to the Indian National Flag or any threat to Indian interests abroad.”
The districts where these searches took place include Moga, Barnala, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, SBS Nagar, Amritsar, Mukhtsar, Sangrur, Patiala, Mohali in Punjab and Sirsa in Haryana.
The agency said, “The NIA is leaving no stone unturned to pinpoint culpability in the London attack and arrest the perpetrators, their associates, and their supporters, based in India and abroad.”
NIA RAIDS 31 LOCATIONS IN PUNJAB & HARYANA OVER ATTACK ON INDIAN HIGH COMMISSION IN LONDON pic.twitter.com/hsPZ2LCNpQ
— NIA India (@NIA_India) August 2, 2023
Digital Data Seized
The agency informed that the investigation led to the seizure of digital data containing information about the accused persons involved in the attack and other incriminating documents and evidence.
During the ongoing investigations, NIA has identified Gurcharan Singh, Dal Khalsa, UK; Avtar Singh Khanda of the Khalistan Liberation Force; Jasvir Singh, and many of their associates, both Indian and foreign nationals, as being behind the attack.
As a part of the investigation, an NIA team visited the UK in May to gather evidence in the case. Eventually, “crowdsourcing of information” was initiated to identify and collect information about the UK-based entities and individuals involved in the incident. The attackers were identified based on those details.
In June, the NIA released five videos seeking help from the public to identify individuals involved in violent protests in the UK.
Attack on the Indian High Commission in London
The High Commission of India in London was attacked on 19 March following a crackdown on radical preacher Amritpal Singh. Protestors took down an Indian flag, resulting in a sharp reaction from the Indian government, with British officials apologising for the lapse in security.
NIA said a group of about 50 persons committed criminal trespass, caused disrespect to the Indian national flag, damaged public property, and injured officials of the High Commission of India during the attacks.
Amritpal’s arrest on 18 March triggered waves of pro-Khalistan protests against the Indian government in numerous Western countries, including the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.