A 19-year-old man with an offensive weapon was arrested on Sunday for breaching the security at Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth II is spending her Christmas. Following the incident, a video has surfaced which alleges that the man intended to avenge of those who were killed in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
The incident
Prince Charles and wife Camilla are spending Christmas with the 95-year-old monarch at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, south-east England, after she took the decision to call off her traditional Christmas at Sandringham estate in Norfolk amidst a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Officers from Thames Valley and the Metropolitan Police said they responded to the breach on Saturday morning and arrested the man from Southampton.
The man was taken into custody and has undergone a mental health assessment — he has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and remains in the care of medical professionals, police said.
Members of the royal family were informed about the incident and were not in harm’s way, the police said.
An investigation is ongoing following this incident and we are working with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police, said Thames Valley Police Superintendent Rebecca Mears.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon. He remains in custody at this time.
“We can confirm security processes were triggered within moments of the man entering the grounds and he did not enter any buildings. We do not believe there is a wider danger to the public, she said.
The Sunday Mirror reported that the arrest came after security controllers monitoring CCTV noticed a man carrying what appeared to be a crossbow. Police, however, have not confirmed what the weapon was and it is not known where exactly the man was on the grounds and how close he got to the castle itself. It was reported that he carried an offensive weapon.
The video
Meanwhile, The Sun has obtained a footage, which is thought to be the arrested suspect, holding a black crossbow and using a distorted voice as he makes threats to the camera.
According to Daily Mail, Jaswant Singh Chail uploaded the pre-recorded video to Snapchat at 8:06 am on Christmas Day, 24 minutes before a man was arrested by police inside the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Known to friends as Jas, he used a filter to distort his voice and wore a disturbing hoodie and mask – an outfit thought to be inspired by Star Wars
He says: “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.
“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.”
Sith may be a reference to the leading villains in Star Wars while Darth Jones may relate to James Earl Jones who voiced Darth Vader. A framed picture of Star Wars character Darth Malgus was visible in the background of the clip.
Alongside the video a message was also sent on Snapchat which said: “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.”
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919, where a large peaceful crowd had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, to protest against the arrest of pro-Indian independence leaders Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satya Pal. In response to it, the British Brigadier-General R E H Dyer surrounded the Bagh with his soldiers. The Jallianwala Bagh could only be exited on one side, as its other three sides were enclosed by buildings. After blocking the exit with his troops, he ordered them to shoot at the crowd, continuing to fire even as the protestors tried to flee. The troops kept on firing until their ammunition was exhausted. Estimates of those killed vary between 379 and over 1,500 people and over 1,000 people were injured.
Earlier instances
In 1982, a man in his 30s entered Queen Elizabeth’s private chambers at Buckingham Palace while she was in bed before police apprehended him.
In July, a man was arrested after scaling the gates of the Palace. And in 2020, a homeless man scaled the walls and bedded down for the night in the grounds before being caught.
With input from agencies
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