The Sikh Federation Calls for Inquiry Into Sudden Death of Activist

The Sikh Federation is calling for a judge-led inquiry into the death of Avtar Singh Khanda, a supporter of Khalistan, a separate homeland for Sikhs, who died suddenly in Birmingham aged 35. Three days after his death on 15th of June, a Canadian Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was also shot dead in a suburb of Vancouver. In October, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being complicit in the attack. 

Yesterday, the US Department of Justice said it had charged an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, in connection with a failed attempt to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who was living in New York City. The Sikh Federation says an inquiry is necessary to examine why Mr Khanda died in Birmingham, and it is urging its members to write to their MPs demanding action is taken and that the situation demands an inquest into Avtar Singh Khanda’s mysterious death. The Sikh Federation states that 

“Only a judge-led inquiry will be able to examine the failings of the police, coroner and British intelligence, especially on the back of planned assasinations of Sikh activists in the US and Canada”.