Embassy attackers may be linked with fanatical Indian sect
NZPA-Reuter Manila Ihe Philippines police are investigating the possibility that a man and a woman who attacked an Indian Embassy official in Manila were acting for the fanatical Indian Ananda Marga sect.
The official, Jvoti Sarup Vaid. aged 45, personal secretary to a senior Indian diplomat, was stabbed in the neck and body by the unidentified, European-looking couple on Tuesday and was still in intensive care. His condition was much improved, the embassy said. An embassy spokesman said investigations showed that the alleged assailants, a bearded man and a woman, believed to be British, were seen hanging around the embassy in suburban Makati on Monday. Asked by the building owner what they were doing, they said they were waiting for a friend. Soon after they left. They returned on Tuesday and apparently attacked Mr
' Vaid as he was entering then I building. He told the police ! i i]he believed he was stabbed] :|by the man. A knife was re- ■ (covered at the scene. The couple were held by i ; an embassy driver and pass- i ers-by, but refused to give I any information about themI selves. They were carrying i no identification papers. I] Mr Vaid had an emer-] ijgency exploratory operation; .(but the embassy said there] s i was hope that major surgery i • would not he necessary, i The police were trying to] check out the identity of the i assailants and their motive, (.with strong suspicion that: 1 i: they were acting for Ananda i Marga. which has made several attacks on diplomats and Indian Embassies in ■pursuit of demands that:
; their leader, P. R. Sarkar, be ] released from an Indian jail. ; He was sentenced to life ; imprisonment in November, 1 1976, for helping in the murder of six defectors from the organisation. The embassy confirmed that the police had been giving the embassy special security protection for some time against possible .Ananda Marga attack. An embassy spokesman I said he thought this would !now be tightened up. The I question of extending personal protection to the diplomats was being investigated. The police were continuing interrogation of the couple at the Camp Crame headquarters of the para- : military constabulary.
Embassy attackers may be linked with fanatical Indian sect
Press, 9 February 1978, Page 7
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