Man arrested inside Windsor Castle on Xmas Day believed to be Sikh seeking Jallianwala revenge – Times of India

LONDON: A man arrested by armed police inside the grounds of
Windsor Castle carrying a crossbow and detained under the Mental Health Act is believed to be an Indian-origin Sikh who wanted to assassinate the Queen in revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919.

Armed police responded to a security breach at 8.30 am on Christmas Day within the grounds of Windsor Castle and arrested a 19-year-old man from Southampton on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon. The Queen was having her breakfast inside the castle at the time and other members of the royal family were present. The man has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

The suspect has not yet been named by police but British newspapers named him as Indian-origin Sikh Jaswant Singh Chail, known to friends as Jas, who allegedly uploaded a pre-recorded video to Snapchat 24 minutes before the arrest in which a masked man, claiming to be Chail, said he intended to kill the Queen.

In the video obtained by the Sun, posted to Chail’s friends on Snapchat at 8.06 am, a masked man holding a black weapon, wearing a Star Wars-inspired mask and a hoodie, and using a distorted voice, says: “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I’ve done and what I will do. I intend to assassinate Elizabeth, queen of the royal family. This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated and discriminated on because of their race. I’m an Indian Sikh, a Sith. My name was Jaswant Singh Chail, my name is Darth Jones.”

In the fictional Star Wars universe the Sith are the ancient enemy of the Jedi and are devoted to the dark side of the Force. There is a framed image of Darth Malgus from Star Wars behind the man in the video. Darth Jones may refer to the American actor James Earl Jones, who voiced Darth Varder in the Star Wars films.

Alongside the video is a message saying: “I’m sorry to all of those who I have wronged or lied to. If you have received this then my death is near. Please share this with whoever and if possible get it to the news if they’re interested.”

According to news reports, the £500,000 (Rs 5 crore) semi-detached family home of the Chail family in Southampton was searched by police on Christmas Day. Chail’s father, Jasbir Singh Chail (57) told MailOnline: “Something’s gone horribly wrong with our son and we are trying to figure out what. We’ve not had a chance to speak to him but are trying to get him the help he needs. From our perspective, we are going through a difficult time. We are trying to resolve this issue and it’s not easy.”

The suspect scaled a spiked fence on Long Walk with a rope ladder and entered the grounds of the castle, immediately triggering security processes. He did not enter any buildings. Following a search of the suspect, a crossbow was recovered.

A Metropolitan police spokesman told TOI: “Enquiries into the full circumstances of this incident are being progressed by Metropolitan police specialist operations. Following the man’s arrest, detectives are assessing the contents of a video. We are not prepared to discuss further.”

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place at a Baisakhi gathering on April 13, 1919 inside a historic garden close to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.