Amritpal Singh's brother-in-law main suspect in attack on Indian High Commission in Canada

Digital Desk: Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh's brother-in-law Amarjot Singh has been listed as the primary accused in the March 23 attack on the Indian High Commission in Canada, National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials acquainted with the investigation said on Friday.

In March, a mob of Khalistan sympathizers attacked the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, throwing two grenades at the building.

The federal government has also identified eight Khalistan sympathizers, including Baba Sarvan Singh, for attacking and damaging the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, according to officials. The federal government has also identified eight Khalistan sympathizers, including Baba Sarvan Singh, for attacking and damaging the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, according to officials.

The NIA took over both cases from the Delhi Police last week to examine a bigger conspiracy and Pakistan's role in the attacks on Indian High Commissions and consulates, in addition to its current investigation into a similar attack in London on March 19.

The NIA's first information report (FIR) claims that Amarjot Singh was in charge of a group of pro-Khalistan demonstrators who "raised anti-India slogans, tied Khalistani flags on the high commission's boundary wall, and hurled two grenades inside the high commission building." The report also claims that the accused engaged in unlawful activities (terror charges).

An official said that Amarjot is the brother-in-law of imprisoned Waris Punjab De head Amrit Pal Singh.

"When the Punjab police and the Centre started a manhunt for Amritpal Singh, Amarjot organized anti-India protests in Canada. These protests were spearheaded by Khalistani leaders such as Hardeep Singh Nijjar [who was inexplicably shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia last week] and London-based Avtar Singh Khanda [who died in a hospital in Birmingham last week]. "It is being investigated whether he was in contact with Amritpal Singh at the time," an official who requested anonymity said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named eight pro-Khalistan individuals in the second case involving the March 18–19 attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco, United States, including Baba Sarvan Singh, Amandeep Singh Virk, Lakhbir Singh, Gursharanjeet Singh, Harpreet Singh, Sandeep Singh, Gurcharan Singh Khalsa, Jaspreet Singh Lovla, and unknown others.

According to the FIR, the accused persons led by Baba Sarvan Singh engaged in anti-India acts such as "raising anti-India slogans, vandalizing and defacing Indian consulate property, and tying Khalistani flags on the railing of the consulate's entrance."

According to the agency, Baba Sarvan Singh asked protesters to break into the consulate and kill all Indian government employees.

"In the incident, Niranjan Pratap Singh, an assistant consular officer, was injured," it said.

An NIA team visited London last month to gather evidence in the attack on the Indian High Commission, and it has developed a list of 45 suspects. It is also expected to visit the United States and Canada in the near future.