New Delhi, India – The National Investigation Agency (NIA) made a significant breakthrough in its investigation into the violent attacks on the Indian high commission in London last year. The agency announced the arrest of a key suspect linked to the back-to-back incidents that occurred in March 2023.
The arrested individual, identified as Inderpal Singh Gaba from Hounslow, UK, was apprehended in Delhi for his alleged involvement in orchestrating the attacks, particularly the one on March 22. During that attack, over 2,000 pro-Khalistan supporters vandalized the high commission building and defaced it with various items, including ink. The first attack on March 19 resulted in the pulling down of the Indian flag and injuries to embassy staff.
The protests were reportedly organized by Avtar Singh Khanda, a UK-based Sikh radical affiliated with the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). Khanda, who passed away in June 2023, had ties to Khalistani terrorist Jagtar Singh Tara. The motive behind the attacks was believed to be retaliation against Punjab police’s actions against Amritpal Singh, the chief of Waris Punjab De, on March 18. Singh is presently detained in a high-security prison in Assam.
The NIA’s investigation revealed that the attacks in London were part of a larger conspiracy to target Indian missions and officials. The agency’s spokesperson emphasized that these acts were in response to the Punjab police’s actions against a pro-Khalistani separatist, further underscoring the complex motivations behind the incidents.
In a joint effort with the Metropolitan police, an NIA team traveled to London in May 2023 to collect evidence related to the attacks. The agency subsequently identified and issued look-out circulars against multiple suspects involved in the assaults. Authorities are actively pursuing leads to identify other individuals connected to the case through the interrogation of Gaba.
Moreover, the NIA is exploring the involvement of Pakistan-backed pro-Khalistani leaders in the UK in orchestrating the attacks. Following discussions between Indian and UK officials, the NIA took over the investigation from the Delhi Police, highlighting the transnational nature of the probe and the security concerns posed by radicalized Sikh youth in the UK.