UK Police raids Sikh homes over ‘extremist activity in India’

Concerns have arisen about how West Midlands police raided homes across Coventry, Leicester and Birmingham over concerns of ‘extremist activity in India’.

The alleged raids on Sikh homes comes just after the Sikh Federation UK reformed their push for Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland in India to be made up of Punjab, a movement Indian authorities have regularly decried.

What West Midlands Police said?

West Midlands police released a statement saying that detectives were searching a number of properties as part of a West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU) investigation.

It added the addresses were in Coventry, Leicester and Birmingham, as part of CTU (Counter Terrorism Unit) investigation in connection with allegations of extremist activity in India and fraud offences.

No-one has been arrested, the police statement added.

A few hours later the Sikh Federation UK released this statement by Bhai Amrik Singh:

“The media reports this morning of houses being raided in Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester mention extremism in India.”

“Given the ground reality of extremist violence in India you could easily assume these raids are on properties owned by extremist right wing Hindus linked to the Indian authorities. However, we are concerned with the actions as we understand Indian police officers may be in the UK and could be targeting Sikh activists through British police.”

The Sikh Federation UK “hope” the police are “not doing the dirty work of the Indian authorities”, they added.

@WMPolice have embarrassed themselves by doing India’s dirty work and then denying it. Even cursory research would show how human rights orgs have documented Indian oppression of Sikhs and how Sikhs have maintained longstanding resistance.https://t.co/dLEir3JS55

— National Sikh Youth Federation (@theNSYF) 22 September 2018

The Sikh Press Association released a note saying: “The Indian state has a history of false statements regarding the nature and threat of pro-Khalistan movements in the UK, with Indian media previously claiming a dossier on Sikh extremism in the UK was handed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015, only for Sikh Council UK to prove no such dossier existed or was ever handed to Cameron, as confirmed by the secretary of parliament.”

Why are Sikh groups concerned?

The Sikh Federation UK is known to take an antagonistic stance against the Indian state. Since the arrest and detention of Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal last year, it has stepped up criticisms of India since the arrest and accuses it of targeting Sikh activists.

Indian authorities say Sikh activists in Britain and Canada are funding and encouraging Sikh nationalism in Punjab, but have yet to provide evidence of illegal or violent extremism.

In April, the Indian government and several British Indian groups urged the police to take action after the Indian flag was torn down during Narendra Modi’s visit. The UK government apologised for the incident.

One prominent Sikh activist has publicly confirmed these raids related to Sikhs

Our family home was raided by SO15 officers today. Looking to find clues for alleged money laundering. Our family once again experienced how no space is allowed for those that honour Khalistan’s Shaheeds and refuse to compromise their ideals.#KhalistanZindabad

— ਸ਼ਮਸ਼ੇਰ ਸਿੰਘ (@anandpur_exile) 18 September 2018

On Tuesday morning, West Midlands police announced they had raided homes over concerns of ‘extremist activity in India’.

Now, as more details trickle out on the raids, Sikh activist groups in Britain say they are deeply concerned.

Update 1: The Labour MP Preet Gill, also chair of the Sikh APPG in Parliament, has released a statement.

“There is speculation that the police raids have political motives and targeting those activists who are outspoken on the 1984 Sikh Genocide issue. If this is the case this is totally unacceptable,” she said.

“I will be arranging a meeting with the Chief Superintendent and community representatives to discuss the matter further,” she added. She also said she would take up the issue with Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

Update 2: The Indian Express has learnt that Gursharanbir Singh Wahiwal, a close relative of Jagtar Singh Johal, also had his house searched. He is also wanted in India for being members of the Khalistan Liberation Force.

Punjab police officers told the newspaper that police also searched his brother Amritbir Singh’s residences in Coventry

Indian police say they pressured UK into raids on Sikh activists, despite denials

In a meeting with the Sikh Council over the weekend, police officials reassured said the operation was “based on intelligence gathered in the UK”, not Indian intelligence.

But this claim has been directly contradicted by Indian police officers in statements to Indian media. So why many Sikhs remain unconvinced.

Ravi Singh, chair of the charity Khalsa Aid, summed up a frequently heard view among British Sikhs last week.

British government will never admit to any foreign cooperation in such cases. Just as they covered their involvement in the 1984 attack on Darbar Sahib.

— ravinder singh (@RaviSinghKA) 21 September 2018

What are Indian officials saying?

Not long after the raids were conducted, Punjab Police told the Indian Express:

“We have received confirmation from WMCTU (West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit) that the residences of both Gursharan (Singh Wahiwal) and Amritbir (Singh) were searched. There was, however, no confirmation on any arrests yet.”

Both men are wanted by Punjab Police. How does the Indian media know who was raided? – asked the Sikh Press Association.

On Sunday the Hindustan Times also quoted a Punjab Police official, saying: “The raids were the result of diplomatic pressure created by India on the UK. Gursharanbir was the key conspirators of targeted killing cases and is an accused in the cases being investigated by National Investigation Agency (NIA). Gursharanbir has provided weapon training to the killers at a shooting range in Dubai.”
“It would be interesting to see of UK allows extradition of Gursharanbir,” the official added.

West Midlands police said no arrests had been made.

What are Sikh organisations saying?

The allegations by Indian police are strongly disputed by the men in question as well as British Sikh groups such as the Sikh Federation UK.

“The raids appear not to have been based on evidence-based intelligence, but have been carried out to demonstrate to the Indian authorities the UK is willing to help take actions against Sikh activists,” it said in a statement over the weekend.

It added: “Following comments of Punjab Police officers the Sikh community and lawyers are in no doubt these raids are linked to a search for evidence against Jagtar Singh Johal.”

Johal, arrested in November last year, has been held by Indian authorities for over 320 days without charge or trial. His MP Martin Docherty-Hughes is asking for a meeting with the new Foreign Secretary.

If Punjab Police has strong evidence linking him (and others) to terrorism or violence, why haven’t they produced it yet? That’s the question many British Sikhs are asking too.