Brenton Tarrant, the only gunman to kill 51 people, including five Indians, in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15, 2019, had stayed in Goa, Mumbai and Jaipur, among the seven and eight places he visited. in India. in 2015-16.
Following input from his counterparts in New Zealand, Indian intelligence agencies launched an investigation into Tarrant’s three-month visit to India. They found that Tarrant, an Australian, traveled extensively in India between November 21, 2015 and February 18, 2016.
Sources said Tarrant traveled extensively and stayed in the southern states, spending considerable time in Goa. He also spent a few days in Mumbai; the only northern Indian state he visited was Rajasthan.
“We have verified the information provided by the New Zealand authorities on the details of your trip. So far, we haven’t found anything to suggest that any of their activities here, or connections made to them, had any link to the attack. There is nothing to suggest that his travels to India could have led him to carry out that gruesome attack, “said a senior intelligence official.
“He stayed in inexpensive accommodations, very popular with backpackers, and visited places popular with tourists from the west. His itinerary shows that he remained largely in southern India, except for a visit to Jaipur. He stayed in Goa for several days, largely staying near the beaches, ”added the official.
The sources said their interactions were limited to fellow travelers and local people involved in the travel business, hotels or adventure activities. “All of this indicates that his interests in India were limited to traveling. The New Zealand authorities’ investigation found that Tarrant traveled extensively around the world before carrying out the attack. He had even visited Muslim countries like the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. In any case, by his own admission, he has said that he was inspired to carry out the attack after visiting Europe in 2017, ”said another official.
Between April 15, 2014 and August 17, 2017, Tarrant traveled extensively, always alone, except for his visit to North Korea as part of a tour group. Countries he visited for periods of about a month or more included China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, among others.
Prior to the attack in March 2019, Tarrant had posted online posts containing anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and right-wing extremist views. He had placed a camera on his head and broadcast the attack live. He received a life sentence in August 2020.
According to agency reports, in December 2020, the New Zealand Royal Commission of Inquiry released a 792-page report on the attack that claimed that Tarrant, 30, worked as a personal trainer at a local gym until 2012, when he suffered an injury.
“He never went back to work in paid employment. Instead, he lived off the money he had received from his father and the income from investments made with him. With his father’s money, the individual traveled a lot. First, in 2013, he explored New Zealand and Australia and then, between 2014 and 2017, he traveled extensively around the world, ”PTI said, citing the report.
According to the investigation, Tarrant moved to New Zealand in 2017
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