India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Thursday a key suspect, Inderpal Singh Gaba, in the attack on the Indian High Commission in London in March 2023. The alleged attack occurred on March 19, 2023, during protests outside the Indian High Commission by alleged separatists known as “Khalistanis.”

India’s state-owned news channel DD News shared the update on their official X (formerly Twitter) account. It stated:

National Investigation Agency (NIA) today [Thursday] arrested one accused in the 2023 case relating to the violent attack on the High Commission of India, #London, and unlawful actions during the subsequent protests. Inderpal Singh Gaba, a resident of #Hounslow, #UK, has been arrested for carrying out unlawful activities during the protests that took place on 22nd March 2023.

Earlier in April, NIA withdrew lookout notices against three out of 15 suspects in connection with the March 19 attack. The three suspects detained in connection with the March 19 attack were turned over to the NIA, but no evidence linking them to the incident was discovered following an extensive investigation. As a result, their lookout notices were withdrawn after discussions with the legal team and NIA Director-General Dinkar Gupta. A lookout notice is a formal request from Indian law enforcement agencies to monitor and track the movements of a person of interest. It is typically used to prevent a suspect from fleeing the country or to aid in their arrest.

According to an August 2023 press release, the NIA raided 31 locations in the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana to uncover the conspiracy behind the March 19 attack on the Indian High Commission in London. The objective was to apprehend the attackers and their supporters in India and abroad to prevent future security breaches or threats to Indian interests. The raids reportedly resulted in the seizure of digital data, incriminating documents and evidence from the attack. During the investigation, the attackers were identified as Gurcharan Singh of the Dal Khalsa in the UK, Avtar Singh Khanda of the KLF, Jasvir Singh, and their associates, both Indian and foreign nationals. The NIA team reportedly visited the UK in May 2023 to investigate the attack and used crowdsourcing to gather information about UK-based entities and individuals involved.

The March 19 protest was allegedly against India’s operation on alleged Khalistani leader Amrit Pal Singh. It prompted protestors to remove India’s national flag from the High Commission in London, which in turn sparked outrage among political leaders and Indian citizens. In response, the Indian government reduced security at the British High Commission and the envoy’s residence in New Delhi; later, during a follow-up protest, water bottles and smoke flares were thrown at the High Commission in London.

Khalistanis are individuals or groups who advocate for an independent Sikh state known as Khalistan, primarily in India’s Punjab region.