Last week, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended key suspect Inderpal Singh Gaba for his alleged role in the attack on the Indian High Commission in London in March 2023. Gaba was arrested on suspicion of unlawful activities during the protests taken up by alleged separatists commonly referred to as “Khalistanis”.
Notably, the NIA, earlier in April, withdrew lookout notices aimed at three of the 15 suspects linked with the March 19 attack. The suspects were initially apprehended in connection with the attack but subsequent investigations did not reveal any evidence implicating them to the incident. Consequently, after due consultations with their legal team and the NIA Director-General Dinkar Gupta, the lookout notices standing against these suspects were withdrawn.
In a quest to unearth the conspiracy behind the attack, the NIA, as per its August 2023 press release, carried out 31 raids at different locations in the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. This was aimed to bring to book the organizers of the attack and their supporters, both in India and overseas to prevent any future security threats to Indian interests. The raids resulted in the seizure of digital data, incriminating documents, and vital evidence related to the attack.
The March 19 protest was allegedly targeted against India’s operation on Khalistani leader Amrit Pal Singh. The contentious protest led to the removal of the Indian national flag from the High Commission in London. This sparked a widespread outcry among political leaders and Indian citizens alike, leading to the Indian government reducing security at the British High Commission and the envoy’s residence in New Delhi.
The term “Khalistanis” is generally associated with individuals or groups advocating for an independent Sikh state known as Khalistan, primarily in India’s Punjab region.
Further details on this matter can be found here.