India Seeks UK and US Assistance in Investigating Pro-Khalistan Violence
India has formally requested assistance from the United Kingdom and the United States in investigating the recent pro-Khalistan violence. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has invoked the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to seek evidence and specific details from the UK authorities regarding the suspects involved in the attack on the Indian High Commission in London on March 19th.
The NIA has also prepared a separate proposal seeking information from US authorities regarding the individuals responsible for targeting the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on July 2nd.
The NIA’s investigation into the London protests has made significant progress following their visit to the UK, where they collected crucial evidence related to the violence. The Home Ministry sources claim that the visit helped uncover several important leads.
Under the MLAT, India has submitted a set of 24 queries to the UK authorities, seeking information on various aspects of the protest, including the organizers, their credentials, and permissions obtained for the demonstration. The MLAT enables countries to request evidence from each other regarding accused individuals involved in criminal cases.
The pro-Khalistan protests in London prompted the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to direct the NIA to launch a fresh case. Initial investigations suggested a possible terror link involving Pakistan’s intelligence agency – the ISI. In addition, the MHA instructed the Delhi Police to transfer the investigation to the NIA.
Following the NIA’s return to India from the UK, they released five video clips depicting the violence and sought assistance from the public in identifying the individuals who partook in the vandalism at the High Commission. The agency received an overwhelming response, with over 1,050 calls providing valuable information.
During their investigation, the NIA received support from the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) in identifying the suspects. The agency has managed to identify 15 of the attackers and has issued Look Out Circulars against some of them.
The FIR filed by Kiran Kumar Vasant Bhosale, assistant personnel and welfare officer at the High Commission, mentioned three individuals by name: Avtar Singh alias Khanda, Gurcharan Singh, and Jasvir Singh. Unfortunately, Khanda, one of the accused, passed away in a Birmingham hospital in June.
In relation to the protest in San Francisco, the NIA has also made progress. They identified several attackers with the assistance of CCTV footage and have issued Look Out Circulars against some of them. The agency has been preparing queries under the MLAT to request information from US authorities.
The Indian government is determined to thoroughly investigate the pro-Khalistan violence and bring the perpetrators to justice. By seeking assistance from the UK and US, they aim to gather crucial evidence to support their case. The collaboration between investigative agencies is vital in combating acts of violence and maintaining international peace and security.
