A mobile phone dropped by the men who launched a knife attack on Operation Bluestar commander Lt Gen Kuldip Singh Brar in west-central London may hold valuable clues to the identity of the attackers, Indian sources said Tuesday.
Brar, 78, suffered knife injuries to his neck and face after fighting off four men in what he has described as an assassination attempt by Khalistan extremists in Marble Arch late on Sunday night. The handset was apparently dropped by one of the men in the scuffle.
On Tuesday, London’s Metropolitan Police force, who have opened a case of attempted murder, appealed for witnesses, saying the four assailants had “long beards” and wore dark clothes and jackets."The four men are described as wearing dark clothing and long black jackets. They all had long beards. One of the men is described as younger and slimmer than the other three. They all fled in the direction of Oxford Street," a police statement said.
“Detectives are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time or who may have information about the incident. In particular they want to speak to those people who assisted the wife and the victim at the scene following the attack,” it added. Police said they were keeping “an open mind” about the motive and were yet to make any arrests.
{{/usCountry}}“Detectives are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time or who may have information about the incident. In particular they want to speak to those people who assisted the wife and the victim at the scene following the attack,” it added. Police said they were keeping “an open mind” about the motive and were yet to make any arrests.
{{/usCountry}}Brar says detectives are confident of finding the culprits as the area is well covered by CCTV cameras. But an Indian source said the cameras could prove to be useless if the attackers shaved off their beards. “The mobile phone could be much more useful,” said the source.