Family of Late Sikh Activist Demands Different Police Force for Investigation Into His Death Amid Fears of Targeting by India

 The late Sikh activist Avtar Singh Khanda's family has expressed demands for the Home Office to appoint a different police force to carry out a comprehensive and impartial investigation into his sudden death last June. With the Sikh community in the UK expressing fears regarding potential targeting by India, the move is seen as a necessary measure by the family's lawyer, Michael Polak. These concerns stem from Khanda's support for the Khalistan movement. His family has indicated their lack of trust in the investigation carried out by the West Midlands police and has implored that the Home Office consider their request.

Polak emphasized the need for an extensive, objective review of Khanda's death, especially given the context of related incidents involving Sikh separatists in Canada and the US. The family's lawyer has directed a letter to UK Home Secretary James Cleverly, requesting that a different police force be designated to investigate Khanda's death by December 29. Concerns surrounding Khanda's death also arise from the recent murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the attempted assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

The lawyer's plea for an alternate police force comes in light of the West Midlands police being placed under special measures for inadequate crime investigations. Additionally, the family was initially informed that a full investigation had been conducted when, in fact, key steps, such as interviewing Khanda's friends and visiting his workplace, had not been conducted. Consequently, the family is apprehensive about the thoroughness of the investigation. Khanda's family, along with the larger Sikh community, is also questioning the government's silence on the matter, expressing that the UK government's inactivity regarding the Indian government's actions is deeply troubling for British Sikhs.

The lack of a response to these concerns is particularly disconcerting, given the significant political ties between the UK and India and the ongoing negotiations for a multi-billion-pound free trade agreement. As these developments unfold, the UK and other countries are treading carefully in their dealings with India, considering its position as a strategic partner in countering China's influence.

However, the rapidly evolving situation demands an unbiased and comprehensive investigation to address the community's grievances and put to rest concerns about potential foreign interference and undue influence on UK policy. The family's request for a different police force for the investigation has become a pressing matter, underscored by concerns shared in the Sikh diaspora. With several crucial questions and unresolved implications surrounding Khanda's death, the demand for an independent and meticulous review by a different police force holds significant implications for the Sikh community and the larger political relationship between the UK and India.