NIA searches 31 locations in Punjab, Haryana in attack on UK Indian HC office

New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday carried out searches at 31 locations in Punjab and Haryana and bring to book the various attackers and assailants.

An anti-terror probe agency spokesperson here said that the NIA raided 31 locations across Punjab and Haryana to unravel and unearth the full contours of the conspiracy behind the March 19 attack on the High Commission of India in London, and bring to book the various attackers and assailants.

The NIA team carried out searches in Punjab's Moga, Barnala, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, SBS Nagar, Amritsar, Mukhtsar, Sangrur, Patiala, Mohali and in Haryana's Sirsa.

The official said that the agency is leaving no stone unturned to pinpoint culpability in the London attack and arrest the perpetrators, their associates and their supporters, based in India and abroad.

It has been carrying out extensive investigations into the incident with a view to ensuring there is no repeat of such breach of security, disrespect to the Indian national flag or any threat to Indian interests abroad.

 The official said that massive raids were conducted today across the two north-Indian states, as part of NIA’s efforts to unravel the ‘bigger conspiracy’ behind the London attack.

The official said that the searches led to the seizure of digital data containing information related to the accused persons involved in the attack on the High Commission and other incriminating documents and evidence.

The High Commission of India in London was attacked in March by a group of about 50 persons, who committed criminal trespass, disrespect to the Indian national flag, damage to public property and injuries to officials of the High Commission of India.

The attack was organised by Gurcharan Singh, Dal Khalsa, UK; Avtar Singh Khanda of KLF, Jasvir Singh and many of their associates, both Indian and foreign nationals, who have been identified during the ongoing NIA investigations.

A team of the NIA had visited the United Kingdom in May this year to probe the attack case.

The official said that a crowdsourcing of information was also carried out to identify and collect information about UK-based entities and individuals involved in the incident, based on which the agency identified many of the attackers.