India identifies 43 pro-separatist supporters over alleged involvement in violence at India missions abroad News
Pulakit Singh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
India identifies 43 pro-separatist supporters over alleged involvement in violence at India missions abroad

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India in a press release Sunday that 43 individuals allegedly involvement in attacks at the Indian High Commission in London and at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco have been identified. The individuals have been recognized as “Khalistan supporters” who demand the creation of a majority Sikh separatist state, known as Khalistan, in the Punjab region of India.

NIA issued a year-end press release that detailed the major achievements made by the agency in the year 2023. The agency achieved a conviction rate of 97 percent against those involved in criminal offences that hurt the national interests in 2023. It highlighted a 28 percent increase in arrests and cited attachment of assets worth around Rs. 56 crores (approximately 67,25,325 USD) in the last year. It further underscored the actions taken by NIA against Indian missions, particularly those that took place in Ottawa, London and San Francisco in 2023. The agency identified 43 suspects after a close examination of over 80 suspected individuals, with the help of several investigative methods, especially leveraging crowd-sourced information from the public. NIA said in the release that with the expansion of terrorism, in its forms, contours and methods, the agency would remain committed, and would aim to “enhance and expand its anti-terror strategies.”

The pro-Khalistan supporters were protesting in front of the High Commission of India in London on March 19, 2023. They were found chanting pro-Khalistan slogans and waving the yellow-colored Khalistani flags during the protest. Amidst the protest, one person climbed the balcony and pulled down the Indian flag. Further, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa was attacked by Khalistan supporters in which “two grenades were hurled at the building,” following which the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Explosives Act that deal with terrorist attacks were invoked.

The mentioned security breach was followed by an attack at the Indian consulate in San Francisco on July 2, 2023, wherein Khalistan supporters allegedly tried to set the diplomatic mission on fire. The protesters broke open the makeshift security barricades and installed the Khalistan flags inside the consulate, which were later removed. Additionally, NIA’s team visited San Francisco in August 2023 to gather information on the assailants involved in the act.

The NIA took over the investigation of the attacks carried out by the alleged Khalistan supporters on the Indian diplomatic mission, following the order from the Ministry of Home Affairs.  The agency aims to gather concrete evidence, and determine the network involved in the attacks and believes that collaboration with international law enforcement agencies would prove crucial for a comprehensive investigation.

 

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