Indian govt to investigate enigmatic Havana Syndrome after startling incident in Delhi

The Indian government in a submission in a state court said last week that it will investigate the possibility of ‘Havana Syndrome’ in India. The central government said this to the Karnataka High Court in response to a petition filed by a person named A Amarnath Chagu.

The petitioner had requested the Indian government to investigate the possibility of the Havana Syndrome in India and come up with measures to stop its transmission.

Watch:Havana Syndrome: US Secy Blinken vows to solve the mystery

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The demand by the Bengaluru resident came after reports emerged that in 2021, when a US intelligence officer was travelling to India with CIA director William Burns, he experienced symptoms linked to the infamous syndrome.

What is the Havana Syndrome?

The enigmatic ailment known as the "Havana Syndrome" gained public attention in 2016 when a number of diplomats at the American embassy in Havana began reporting an unusual illness.

Their symptoms included migraines, nausea, memory lapses, dizziness, hearing phantom sounds, and vertigo. Certain officials claimed that these symptoms persisted for months.

Instances of Havana Syndrome

Thousands of potential cases of this baffling condition have allegedly been reported by diplomats, intelligence agents, and US officials worldwide, spanning cities such as Vienna, Paris, Geneva, Beijing, and of course, Havana, over the past few years.

In March 2018, MRI scans and other tests conducted by a neurologist in Pittsburgh on Canadian diplomats revealed signs of brain damage, similar to what their US counterparts had described.

Similar reports emerged about US intelligence officials experiencing unexplained symptoms in cities like Moscow, Tbilisi, Poland, Taiwan, and Australia.

How America is tackling Havana Syndrome?

By January 2022, the CIA released a preliminary evaluation stating that the syndrome was not the result of a deliberate global campaign by a hostile power. Foreign involvement was ruled out in 976 out of the 1,000 cases reviewed.

In 2021, the US enacted the HAVANA Act (Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks Act) to authorise compensation for injuries incurred by intelligence personnel and diplomats due to the syndrome, among other purposes.

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