LONDON: The Metropolitan Police on Tuesday said it’s continuing to investigate one Indian man for affray, public order offence and threats during a protest by Indian nationals outside the Pakistan High Commission in London last Friday.
Two Indian men were arrested on Friday for affray and issuing threats to the police outside the high commission while Pakistanis held a counter-protest.
Police told Geo News that one man had been released without any further action, but the other one had been released on bail while the investigation was underway.
A Met Police spokesperson: “Met officers responded to a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission on Friday. 25 April. A counter-protest also took place at the location.
“Two men who were alleged to have verbally abused a police officer were arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. One was also arrested on suspicion of affray. The man arrested on suspicion of affray and a public order offence, a 26-year-old, was later released and will face no further action. The other man, a 33-year-old, was bailed until a date in June.”
The 33-year-old has become a viral meme for putting up a heroic bravado and then running when he issued threats to a Muslim police officer and ran when the police tried to hold him.
Yesterday, an Indian origin British Kashmiri Ankit Love was formally charged with criminal damage following an incident at the Pakistani High Commission in London.
According to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police, Love, 41, with no fixed address, was formally charged on Sunday, April 27 .
The charges relate to the attack on the Pakistan High Commission that occurred at approximately 5pm on Sunday, when police were called to Lowndes Square, Kensington and Chelsea, to respond to reports of a man allegedly smashing the windows of the Pakistani High Commission.
Few hours ago on Friday evening, around 300 Indians had protested at the Pakistan High Commission. Two Indian men were arrested from the spot for racially abusing the police.
CCTV footage showed how Ankit attacked the Pakistan High Commission and smashed several windows and doors, causing criminal damage.
According to Indian sources, Ankit is of Kashmiri origin, from the Indian occupied side and calls himself a musician. In 2016, he set up his One Love party and stood against Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith to become the Mayor of London.
“The One Love party aims to convey a universal message of unity and peace for all mankind,” he said, in reference to his campaign message at the time.
In 2015, he declared himself the maharaja of the Dogra dynasty of Jammu and Kashmir as the son of Bhim Singh, former president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party.
His LinkedIn profile refers to him as “HH the Emperor (Maharaja), Sovereign State of Jammu and Kashmir”.
As tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi rise in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Pakistani and Indian diaspora protesters came face to face staged protests outside the missions of both countries in central London, over the weekend.
Pakistan has responded in kind to India’s measures and warned of suspending Simla Agreement, besides closing its airspace for Indian flights. Islamabad has denied involvement in the attack and offered to take part in a credible and transparent investigation.