India Asks UK To Provide Information On Suspects Involved In Attack On Indian High Commission

India has requested the UK authorities to provide evidence related to suspects who were involved in the violence at the Indian High Commission in London during a pro-Khalistan protest on 19 March.

This request, issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), falls under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), asking the UK authorities to share specific details of the suspects and their aides.

Further, the NIA has also prepared a separate proposal, seeking information from the authorities in the United States regarding individuals responsible for targeting the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on 2 July.

The NIA got some crucial leads about the 19 March violence in London after visiting the UK and collecting several pieces of evidence, according to the Home Ministry sources cited in an Indian Express report.

"To get more details related with the case, a set of 24 queries have been sent under the MLAT in which it has been asked about the protest, organisers of the protest, their credentials, their permission,” a source was quoted as saying in the IE report.

The MLAT allows either nation to seek evidence from the other regarding an accused.

In April, the MHA had directed the NIA to file a fresh case in connection with the London protests after preliminary investigation pointed to a terror link involving Pakistan’s ISI.

Additionally, the ministry directed the Delhi Police, which had filed a complaint under the UAPA, to transfer the investigation to the NIA.

In May, an NIA team traveled to the UK and gathered crucial evidence, including CCTV footage.

Shortly after their return to India, the NIA released five video clips of the violence, soliciting assistance from the public in identifying those who attempted to vandalise the High Commission.

The agency reportedly received over 1,050 calls in response.

The Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) reportedly also helped the NIA's investigative team to identify the suspects.

“The NIA has identified 15 attackers issued a Look Out Circular against some of them,” an official said.

In the FIR, complainant Kiran Kumar Vasant Bhosale, assistant personnel and welfare officer at the High Commission, mentioned names of three persons – Avtar Singh alias Khanda, Gurcharan Singh and Jasvir Singh.

Khanda, one of the three accused, died in a hospital in Birmingham in June.

Meanwhile, in connection with the protest in San Francisco, an NIA team visited the US in August.

“We have identified some attackers with the help of CCTV footage and opened Look Out Circular against some of them. We are preparing queries for MLAT,” said an official.