The Metropolitan Police stated on Tuesday that they are continuing to investigate an Indian man for affray, public order offences, and making 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 informed Geo News that one man had been released without any further action, but the other had been released on bail while the investigation is ongoing.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “Met officers responded to a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission on Friday, April 25th. 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 man has become a viral meme for displaying heroic bravado and then running away after issuing threats to a Muslim police officer when the police attempted to detain him.
Yesterday, Ankit Love, a British Kashmiri of Indian origin, 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, who has no fixed address, was formally charged on Sunday, April 27th.
The charges are related to the attack on the Pakistan High Commission that occurred at approximately 5 pm on Sunday, when police were called to Lowndes Square, Kensington and Chelsea, in response to reports of a man allegedly smashing the windows of the Pakistani High Commission.
A few hours earlier on Friday evening, around 300 Indians had protested at the Pakistan High Commission. Two Indian men were arrested from the scene 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 identifies as a musician. In 2016, he established his One Love party and ran against Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith in the London mayoral election.
Regarding his campaign message at the time, he stated, “The One Love party aims to convey a universal message of unity and peace for all mankind.”
In 2015, he declared himself the maharaja of the Dogra dynasty of Jammu and Kashmir as the son of Bhim Singh, the former president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party.
His LinkedIn profile describes him as “HH the Emperor (Maharaja), Sovereign State of Jammu and Kashmir.”
As tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi escalate following the Pahalgam attack, Pakistani and Indian diaspora protesters held opposing demonstrations outside the missions of both countries in central London over the weekend.
Pakistan has reciprocated India’s measures and has warned of suspending the Simla Agreement, in addition to closing its airspace for Indian flights. Islamabad has denied any involvement in the attack and has offered to participate in a credible and transparent investigation.
