Who Is Avtar Singh Khanda, Khalistan Liberation Force Chief And Mastermind Of Attack On Indian High Commission In UK?

NEW DELHI: Avtar Singh Khanda, also known as Ranjodh Singh, reportedly died at the Sandwell Hospital in Birmingham, United Kingdom on Thursday. Khanda was suffering from blood cancer and was undergoing treatment at the Sandwell Hospital in West Birmingham for the past few days. 

Who Was Avtar Singh Khanda?

Avtar Singh Khanda is believed to be the mastermind of the March 19 attack on the Indian High Commission in London. Khanda was also a close aide of radical Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh who was arrested by the Punjab Police after evading the law for several weeks. He is believed to have allegedly groomed Amritpal Singh, who was made the head of ‘Warris Punjab De’ after Deep Sidhu’s death. Amritpal Singh was arrested by the Punjab police in the Moga district on March 23 and charged with crimes relating to disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. Singh is currently languishing in jail. 

Khalistan Liberation Force Chief

Avtar Singh Khanda was the chief of the UK-based terrorist group Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). He was a political asylum seeker in the UK and played a major role in radicalising Sikh youth towards the separatist movement. He was arrested in the UK after he brought down the Indian Tricolour at its embassy in London.

Terror Links

Khanda was also a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative, an organisation that has been banned across the world by many countries including Canada, the US, and even the UK. He entered the UK via a student visa and became associated with separatist groups active in some of the key gurudwaras in the country. These places are said to be managed by Khalistani supporters to collect funds in the name of human rights violations against the Sikh community in India.

Punjab Connection 

Born in the Moga district of Punjab, Avtar Singh Khanda moved to London at a very early age.  He was considered to be having close links with Khalistani terrorists Paramjit Singh Pamma and Jagtar Singh Tara. Khanda, who was accused of training and radicalising the Sikh youngsters, was named among those who were hatching a conspiracy against the Indian state. 

Khanda’s father was a KLF terrorist who was gunned down by the security forces in 1991 while his mother has also been related to a KLF terrorist with strong links to a Pakistani deep state called Gurjant Singh Budhsigwala. 

Attack On The Indian Embassy In UK

National Investigating Agency had identified Khanda along with three others as the main miscreants behind the violent protest outside the Indian mission in London. According to the NIA and Punjab Police, Khanda was an expert in making improvised explosive devices or IEDs and even gave demonstrations of bomb-making in some gurudwaras in the UK.

Source: Bureau