Khalistan Sympathiser Avtar Singh Khanda Dies in UK Hospital

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

UK-based chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Avtar Singh Khanda, who was the mastermind behind the violent incident at the Indian High Commission in London on March 19, has passed away at Sandwell Hospital in Birmingham. The cause of his death is currently unknown, and the medical report is awaited.

Khanda, also known as Ranjodh Singh, was a political asylum seeker in the UK and played a significant role in radicalising Sikh youth in support of the separatist movement for Khalistan. His father was a former KLF terrorist who was killed by security forces in 1991, and his mother was related to another KLF terrorist, Gurjant Singh Budhsingwala, who had strong links to the Pakistani deep state.

According to reports, Khanda’s supporters are eager for the medical report to indicate poisoning, as they intend to declare him a martyr and blame Indian security agencies for his alleged murder.

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However, it is worth noting that Khanda had been battling blood cancer and had been admitted to the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital about two weeks prior to his demise.

Khanda, along with three other separatists, had been identified by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) as the main culprits behind the dishonoring of the Indian flag during the protest at the London High Commission on March 19. Despite prior alerts by the Indian High Commission to the UK intelligence agency MI-5 about the anticipated violence, the UK Police’s action against the protestors was conspicuous.

Like other sympathisers of Khalistani separatism, Khanda entered the UK using the well-established method of a student visa and swiftly became associated with the separatist movement prevalent in key gurudwaras in the country. These gurudwaras are managed by Khalistani supporters and are utilised to gather funds for terrorism under the pretext of human rights violations against the Sikh community in India.

The core UK establishment has long been indifferent to Sikh separatist activities, despite Indian intelligence agencies repeatedly highlighting Khanda’s violent tendencies on three separate occasions prior to March 19, 2023.

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Khanda used to propagate anti-India sentiments and make derogatory remarks about Indians on the UK-based pro-Khalistani KTV channel, alongside Jagjeet Singh Jeeta, until it was shut down by UK Ofcom in April 2022 following protests by the Indian community in Britain. Khanda, along with others such as Paramjeet Singh Pamma, Joga Singh, Kuldip Singh Chaheru, Gursharan Singh, and others, has been involved in various protests outside the Indian High Commission in London in the past.