The 19-year-old Jaswant Singh Chail is accused of threatening to kill the Queen in retaliation for a carnage during the colonial period. He has a long-held grudge against the royals. Saurav Dutt, who is the author of a book about the 1919 Amritsar massacre, has provided information that throws light on why Chail did what he did.
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According to Dutt, Chail called him after seeing a panel discussion in which British-led troops shot and killed 379 unarmed Indians. He alleges Chail requested an apology in 2019 and sent him an email indicating so. He wrote:
The royals should say the words outright and that Prince Philip, in particular, was culpable as he served in the Navy with the son of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer whose order led to the massacre.
Ongoing investigation
Chail is apparently very attached to the cause as a Sikh, currently residing in Southampton. Following a mental health evaluation, he remained under the care of medical specialists yesterday. The Metropolitan Police stated its investigation is still ongoing.
The video, obtained by The Sun, appears to show a masked figure wearing a dark hoodie and addressing the camera with a garbled voice, stating they wish to assassinate the Queen in a revenge operation for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, better known as the Amritsar massacre. He said in the video:
I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I’ve done and what I will do. I will attempt to assassinate Elizabeth, queen of the royal family. This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Worried family
The video was sent on Snapchat at 8:06 a.m. on Christmas Day, just 24 minutes before a man was arrested on the grounds of the castle. According to a Southampton neighbour, the suspect's father, Jasbir Singh Chail, was anxious about his son. The neighbours informed:
The dad mentioned how difficult it was getting his son involved in anything positive or trying to motivate him.
He said his son was spending more time alone in his room on social media and the lockdown had made this worse.
Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, ordered a review of crossbow legislation yesterday, citing concerns that, unlike firearms, the weapons have no record or registration requirements.
