How does the Indian media know who was raided? – UK Sikh home raids story update

An Indian newspaper claims West Midlands Police worked on Indian state direction in regards to raids on Sikh activists. Findings have led many to believe media information on those targeted was extracted through the torture of Jagtar Singh Johal, the Scottish Sikh detained in India without charge. WMP are yet to address the Indian media accusations or answer questions from the Sikh community on this issue.

18 months after the raids by the Counter-Terror unit, two members of Sikh Youth UK have been charged based on findings by the Charities Commission. A trial pends as questions remain about Indian state collusion with the police.

Read on for more, including quotes from the National Sikh Youth Federation, Sikh Press Association and MP Preet Kaur.

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UPDATE: 31.10.19

Accused plead not guilty

At the first court hearing of the West Midlands Terror Unit led Charities Commission case against Sikh Youth UK (SYUK), the accused pled not guilty on charges of fraudulent activity as a charity.

The case is the result of a raid initially carried out by the West Midlands Counter-Terror Unit in September 2018. Sikh Youth UK are an award winning community group, that are not a registered charity. Their funding came from donations to support their work on issues like awareness on targeted sexual grooming, supporting those suffering with addiction and more.

The police investigation against the accused – SYUK sevadaar (selfless servant) Kuldeep (Deepa) Singh and his sister Rajbinder Kaur – came after the raids of the homes of five Sikhs last year. Indian media stated the raids, of which they had classified information, were a result of Indian state ‘diplomatic pressure’ on the UK government based on targeting those linked to Jagtar Singh Johal, the Scottish Sikh activist detained since November 2017 in India. It is believed by many within the community those targeted were picked based on vocal support for the #FreeJaggiNow campaign, underlined by the fact those raided also included a member of the National Sikh Youth Federation, another group openly supporting the #FreeJaggiNow campaign and highlighting India’s human-rights abuse issues.

Famed human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce said of the raids, there was a ‘paper trail’ which led back to India, with allegations going further to suggest the information which led to the raids was obtained via the torture of Jagtar Singh in India. West Midlands police deny this but remain silent on questions about the source of information and quotes on ‘diplomatic pressure’ Indian media published.

Deepa Singh has charges against him of providing false or misleading information to the Charity Commission whilst his sister has the same charges but is also accused of money laundering and six counts of theft amounting to £47,926.

A SYUK statement quoted their legal team, saying ‘Following the facade for over one year of investigations which commenced from a raid by the CTU…The case has now come down to one email sent which clearly sets out the SYUK agenda and answers questions posed by the charity commission.’ The statement also claims the charges are a ‘fabricated case devised by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, which is aimed at defaming SYUK.’ Read the full statement here.

The case has been moved from Birmingham magistrates court, where the trial hearing was, to Birmingham crown court, where the trial will commence on November 28th.

Sikh PA will continue providing updates on this case as it comes in.

UPDATE: 04.09.19

Article queries deeper issues of investigation against SYUK

An article by respected Sikh educator Harwinder Singh Mander has asked ‘Is there more going on in this case than any of us realise?’.

Read more here.

 

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UPDATE: 30.09.19

Charges confirmed as SYUK expected

As stated by SYUK yesterday, the West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Police investigation has led to charges against their sevadaars Deepa Singh and his sister Rajbinder Kaur.

Deepa Singh (full name Kaldip Singh Lehal) and his sister have both been charged with providing false/misleading info to the charities commission, whilst Kaur has also been charged with money laundering and theft. The charges come over a year after the counter-terror raids, which Indian media reported as being done as a result of ‘diplomatic pressure’ by the Indian state.

Deepa Singh spoke out against the charges, which some have claimed is linked to the SYUK vocal support of the Free Jaggi Now campaign. See more directly from SYUK senior sevadaar (selfless volunteer) Deepa here.

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UPDATE: 29.09.19

Sikh Youth UK release statement on alleged upcoming charges against Deepa Singh

A statement today released by Sikh Youth UK claimed ‘leaked intel has revealed that the West Midlands CTU are going to charge Deepa Singh on some fabricated charges’.

The statement, released via the SYUK social media pages, said ‘a credible source has disclosed that senior “Sikh” police officers have pushed for action to be taken against Deepa Singh’, whilst a video released alongside it has allowed Deepa Singh, a senior sevadaar (selfless volunteer) of the SYUK team to give his thoughts on the pending charge.

Deepa Singh says in the video he feels he is being targeted because he helped lead a ban of police in a promotional capacity at Sikh events, due to the links between police and the plight of Jagtar Singh Johal.

See the video in full here.

 

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UPDATE: 19.07.19

Confiscated material shown to include Sikh scripture/literature

Raids Org UK have revealed the West Midlands Police Counter-Terrorism Unit which raided the homes of five Sikh men in September 2018 have returned confiscated items, including lots of Sikh scripture/literature.

Speaking on the items, Raids stated ‘RAIDS have received images and lists of some of the “terror” related items, which are shown in the image. 

‘It is absolutely shocking and disturbing that the West Midlands CTU seized pictures of the Sikh Gurus, Sahibzade and childrens Khanda t-shirts.

‘The search warrants clearly stated that items relating to the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism were only to be seized.’

 

UPDATE: 11.07.19

More Sikh Orgs come out in support for SYUK after recent arrests

Several more Sikh organisations, including two of the biggest Gurdwaras in the UK, have come out in support of community group Sikh Youth UK after the recent arrest of two of their sevadaars (selfless volunteers).

On 3^rd July two sevadaars of the award winning community group were arrested 10 months after raids by West Midlands Police Counter-Terror Unit. The arrests were made as part of a Charities Commission inquiry looking into SYUK funds, who are not a registered charity.

Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, one of the busiest Gurdwaras in Birmingham, released a statement saying Deepa Singh (Kuldeep Singh Lehal, one of the two who were arrested) was ‘recognised for his welfare services carried out locally and nationally’, whilst also adding they were ‘concerned at the speed in which defamatory narratives were propagated through online media’.

The statement came after Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall, the committee in charge of two of the busiest Gurdwaras outside of India, also highlighted Deepa Singh and SYUK’s work providing ‘tremendous support to many Sikh families in West London’ on issues such as ‘drug and alcohol abuse to sexual exploitation’.

Similar statements have also been released by Sikh martial-arts organisation Lions MMA, the Free Jaggi Now campaign team, respected Sikh educational charity Sikh 2 Inspire and other Sikh organisations. Furthermore, the lawyer of Jagtar Singh Johal, respected human rights lawyer Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, confirmed that the raids which took place last year in September and the subsequent arrests are all linked to the #FreeJaggiNow case and resulting Indian government diplomatic pressure on the UK.

The authorities involved in the arrests of the SYUK sevadaars and the ongoing inquiry are yet to provide an update on the situation, whilst it is still unclear if the Charities Commission inquiry is linked to ‘Counter-Terror’ moves by WMP.

Sikh PA will continue providing updates on this story as it goes on.

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UPDATE: 11.07.19

Sikh Council to invite WMP and Charities Commission to meet as both urged to ‘exercise caution’ on Sikh Youth UK arrests

A Sikh Council statement released yesterday (10th July) urged ‘authorities and media outlets to exercise caution and evaluate the counter-productive results of their actions’ in regards to the recent arrests of members of Sikh Youth UK.

The statement, one of several released this week by Sikh organisations, also highlighted that ‘justice requires that a person is considered and treated innocent until proven guilty’, before going on to state ‘we will be inviting the leaders of the relevant authorities to discuss the matter’.

Read more on this, including statements on the situation from other groups, here.

 

 

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UPDATE: 05.07.19

Sikh Youth UK sevadaar speaks out after arrest

Sikh Youth UK (SYUK) senior sevadaar (selfless volunteer) Deepa Singh has spoken publicly for the first time since being arrested 10 months after his family home was first raided by police.

A series of raids on the homes of Sikh activists by the West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit 10 months ago led to two arrests this week – revealed today to be Deepa Singh and his sister who will remain unnamed – based on an inquiry by the Charities Commission. It is unclear if the case is still being linked to alleged ‘terrorism’ or simply ‘regulatory concerns’ about SYUK’s fund raising, or both.

See what Deepa had to say and more by clicking here.

 

 

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UPDATE: 04.07.19

Arrests made as Charities Commission announces inquiry into Sikh organisation

 

A series of raids on the homes of Sikh activists by the West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit 10 months ago has led to two arrests and an inquiry by the Charities Commission.

In a statement released yesterday morning (03.07.19), West Midlands Police said the arrests of a 38-year-old man and 49-year-old woman came about ‘following the examination of evidence obtained during searches which took place in September 2018’, whilst also stating they have ‘been working closely with the Charity Commission on this investigation.’

Since the raids last year, property including passports, laptops and more have been taken from Sikh activists and withheld.  Police are yet to confirm the names of the individuals involved, which has not stopped some media outlets from naming and picturing one of those suspected to have been arrested. Sikh PA will not be repeating information the police have not disclosed regarding the arrests. It is unclear if the case is still being linked to alleged ‘terrorism’ or simply ‘regulatory concerns’ about SYUK’s fund raising.

The WMP statement was followed by a release from the Charities Commission which reported a ‘statutory inquiry into funds held by and raised in connection with Sikh Youth UK.’ The inquiry is being made even though SYUK is not a registered charity because ‘the Commission has jurisdiction due to the funds being charitable.’

The Charities Commission statement also mentions that ‘The Commission has been unable to announce its investigation before now so as to avoid prejudicing criminal proceedings’ but specify the inquiry will examine;

• whether those in control of charitable funds have properly exercised their legal duties and responsibilities under charity law in the administration of charitable funds held by the organisation
• the financial management of the organisation
• whether there has been private benefit to the trustees of the organisation
• the organisation’s partnerships with other charities
• the conduct of the trustees

 

The arrests come after months of conflict between some Sikh activists and the police, due to allegations the raids in September – which were also conducted by London Metropolitan Police – were done on the orders of authorities in India. These allegations were based on the fact Indian media reported an NIA (National Investigation Agency) official claiming ‘The raids were the result of diplomatic pressure created by India on the UK.’

The arrests also come after Sikh activist organisations RAIDS claimed a senior Punjab Police officer was meeting with the WMP to prompt further pressure against those speaking out against India’s human rights breaches, specifically in the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, the Scottish Sikh currently detained in India without charge and without any evidence presented against him.

Furthermore, respected human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce said there was a ‘paper trail’ showing that the actions of the UK police led back to the torture of Jagtar Singh Johal. One of the main issues taken up against the WMP by Sikh activists was based on this ‘paper trail’ of evidence which showed the torture of Jagtar Singh was used to obtain information to target UK activists.

The Sikh Press Association understands the Sikh Council UK have been in contact with the police about the case. Further updates to this story will be provided as they come in.

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UPDATE (14.06.19)

Punjab police Director General believed to have met with WMP

Sikh activist group Raids Organisation UK have claimed the West Midlands Police met with Punjab police Director General Dinkar Gupta earlier this month, prior to the annual Sikh Genocide remembrance rally and march.

The claim was made via Raids’ facebook page on Wednesday (June 12) and comes from intel gathered by the organisation whose aim is to expose UK-Indian collaboration against Sikh activism. The news will concern many in the Sikh community, who are unsupportive of the Punjab Police for their role in the ‘fake encounters’ epidemic against Sikhs in India, which has claimed thousands of lives and is the subject of a new documentary.

The post from Raids states;

‘Gupta handed over names of Sikh Activists in the UK to senior officers from the West Midlands CTU. The activists are vocal on human rights violations against Sikhs in India. He also discussed the ongoing investigation into the raids on 5 Sikh homes and urged the Police to take action.

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UPDATE (29.04.19)

Police stall removed from Vaisakhi event by Sikh activists

West-Midlands police were forced to pack-up their stall and leave the annual Handsworth Vaisakhi mela in Birmingham this Sunday as Sikh activists stuck with enforcing a long-running ban.

The ban, being enforced by various Sikh activists across the UK, is in place against police presence in a promotional role at Sikh events. It is in place after a conglomerate of Sikh organisations decided to act due to UK police involvement in an operation championed by Indian authorities which saw them raid five Sikh activists in September 2018, leading to no arrests and only the confiscation of electrical equipment, much of which is yet to be returned.

See a video of the incident here. Read more on this here.

 

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UPDATE (15.04.19)

Police presence removed from Derby Nagar Kirtan

Derbyshire police were forced to abandon Vaisakhi day (14.04.19) presence at the Derby Nagar Kirtan (Sikh religious procession) after being confronted by Sikh activists.

With activists alleging one of the policemen that was part of a promotional drive at the Nagar Kirtan was also directly involved in the raids of Sikh activists that prompted the ban, the police team was forced to leave the event attended by thousands of Sikhs.

The ban, being enforced by various Sikh activists across the UK, is in place after a conglomerate of Sikh organisations decided to act due to UK police involvement in an operation championed by Indian authorities which saw them raid five Sikh activists in September 2018, leading to no arrests and only the confiscation of electrical equipment, much of which is yet to be returned.

Read more on the original incident here.

 

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UPDATE (11.04.19)

Police forced to stop recruitment drive at Gurdwara as ban continues

Leicestershire police were forced to abandon a pre-Vaisakhi recruitment drive at Leicester Guru Nanak Gurdwara by Sikh activists enforcing a long-running ban.

The ban, being enforced by various Sikh activists across the UK, is in place after a conglomerate of Sikh organisations decided to act due to UK police involvement in an operation championed by Indian authorities which saw them raid five Sikh activists in September 2018, leading to no arrests and only the confiscation of electrical equipment, much of which is yet to be returned.

See a video of the incident here.

Read more on this here.

 

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UPDATE (18.02.19)

Sikh activists condemn ‘operational role’ tag given to Sikh associations

Sikh activists of the Raids Organisation UK team condemned a statement made by West-Midlands police chief constable Dave Thompson at the launch of the National Sikh Police Association.

The launch, which took place in Birmingham at police headquarters on February 7th, saw Thompson state the Sikh police associations have a ‘very operational role’. This was said in relation to breaking down ‘barriers and misunderstandings’ between the Sikh community and police.

In a post on Facebook the Raids Org stated they felt Sikh police officers were being enticed with ‘awards and promotions’ into criminalising Sikh activism.

See the full video on Dave Thompson’s comments including a statement here.

 

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UPDATE (05.01.19)

Human rights lawyer claims UK colluding with India in Jaggi probe

Famed UK human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce claimed there was ’emerging evidence of close cooperation between UK and Indian authorities’ in regards to the case of Jagtar Singh Johal and UK police raids against Sikh activists.

Peirce stated this in an interview with The Times newspaper. Read more on this here.

The individuals targeted by the raids in the UK are believed to have been named by ‘Jaggi’ after his torture at the hands of Punjab Police during his detainment which began in November 2017. The individuals targeted in the raids – which led to no arrests and only the confiscation of property which is still yet to be returned – are all involved in the Free Jaggi Now support campaign.

Jaggi has been detained without any progress in his case since 2017, with trial hearings continually deferred whilst no real evidence has been presented to prove the allegations made against him. Many Sikhs believe Jaggi has been targeted because of his work in writing about India’s human rights abuses, being just one of many Sikh political prisoners in India. Read more on Jaggi at www.SikhPA.com/FreeJaggiNow.

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UPDATE (20.11.18)

There will be ‘more protests’ claims Raids Organisation

An online post by Raids Organisation UK claimed “West Midlands Police COLLUSION with the Indian Government will lead to further protests.”

The simple statement was made on Facebook and is based on continuing inferences from Indian media that report Indian authorities’ claims that the raids ‘were a result of diplomatic pressure’.

No arrests were made during the raids and no charges are expected to be made from the operation which began in early September.

 

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UPDATE (19.11.18)

Sikh group say ‘WMP spying on us’ for Indian govt to ‘silence the call for an independent homeland’

An article in the Huffington Post UK posted today highlighted thoughts from Sikh orgs on the continued ban on West Midlands police from Gurdwara stages.

Read the article in full here.

 

 

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UPDATE (15.11.18)

Summary on UK Parliament mass lobby, including lawyer statement on UK raids

On November 14th dozens of Sikhs from across the UK came together for a mass lobby in regards to several Sikh issues, including the actions of the West Midlands Police and their raids of Sikh activists.

Read our summary via the link below of the main points from this day of lobbying and meeting thereafter, including a statement from Gareth Peirce on a ‘paper trail’ connecting the Indian authorities and the West Midlands Police.

https://www.sikhpa.com/sikh-mass-parliament-lobby-and-meeting-summary/

 

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UPDATE (13.11.18)

WMP to be exposed for operation with Indian authorities targeting Sikhs

A confidential West Midlands Police briefing is to be exposed at a meeting in parliament tomorrow. The news (first aired out on 14.11.18 in India, so 13.11.18 in the UK due to the time difference) comes just before the mass lobby in parliament which will press the UK government on concerns about the raids. Read the full story via the Sikh Siyasat link below:

https://sikhsiyasat.net/2018/11/14/british-authorities-to-be-exposed-during-lobby-for-underhand-involvement-of-jagtar-singh-jaggis-torture/

 

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UPDATE (08.11.18)

WMP made to leave Gurdwara on recruitment drive

A West Midlands police recruitment drive taking place inside a Gurdwara was politely halted by Sikh activists yesterday evening.

A video circulating on social shows activists asking ‘humbly and politely’ for WMP reps to leave based on the agreed upon ban – decided by a conglomerate of Sikh organisations – on the force due to their involvement with Indian authorities which saw them raid five Sikh activists in September, leading to no arrests and only the confiscation of electrical equipment, much of which is yet to be returned.

Note; this incident has since been covered by national media. Read a report and see a video on this incident here.

 

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UPDATE (02.11.18)

Mass lobby announced

 

A mass parliament lobby by Sikhs highlighting five issues including the raids on Sikh activists has been announced for the afternoon of November 14. Read the full story here.

 

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UPDATE (27.10.18)

Raids Organisation formed

A new organisation has been formed by members of the Sikh community to highlight the partnership between the UK and India in regards to suppressing Sikh activism. Raids Organisation UK formed to highlight Anglo-Indian collusion against Sikh activism, such as the #FreeJaggiNow campaign and awareness campaigns in regards to the 1984 Sikh Genocide and its precursor Operation Blue Star.

You can follow the group here.

 

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UPDATE (22.10.18)

WMP to be asked to explain relationship with Indian authorities

Sikh Federation UK say West Midlands Police ‘could be asked to clarify about sharing of information with foreign intelligence agencies.’

A meeting held by the Sikh Federation UK saw news released that WMP and UK authorities could be asked to explain their relationship with intelligence agencies, after information from the raids on five UK Sikh activists found its way into the hands of Indian media.

The Sikh Press Association hope to be able to share any update from WMP as soon as it comes out. Thus far, WMP have rejected Sikh PA’s calls for a press conference to discuss concerns about the raids before the public.

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UPDATE (14.10.18)

Sikh Council UK make public statement on UK raids on homes of Sikh activists

Following a press release on the situation, Gurmel Singh of the Sikh Council UK spoke out publicly in regards to the actions of the UK authorities and the targeted raids on Sikh activists. Watch a video of the speech here.

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UPDATE (09.10.18)

Information on raids put out by WMP is ‘contradictory’ claims MP

Britain’s first female MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs has said that there are unanswered questions concerning the raids on the houses of Sikh activists in Britain. Preet Kaur Gill directly addressed the fact that ‘the information being put out in the public domain is quite contradictory’. She referenced the various references in Indian media to the raids and the Sikh activists involved and contrasted them with the lack of information and denials coming from West Midlands Police.

Preet Kaur also articulated the concerns of the British Sikh community that the raids were connected to the lack of progress in Jagtar Singh’s case in Punjab, India. It has been nearly a year since the British citizen was detained by police in the Indian state where he says he was tortured. She said:

‘The fear in the community, when I’ve spoken to many of the organisations, is that because there’s been no charge on Jagtar Singh Johal in India, are these raids to try and build some kind of evidence?’

Preet Kaur is set to raise the issue with the Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

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UPDATE (08.10.18)

British Columbia Sikh Gurdwaras Council write to British High Commissioner to Canada regarding #5SinghsUK raids

A representative group of one of the biggest Sikh diaspora communities in the world have spoken out about the UK raids on Sikh activists, speaking on the ‘shock’ of the Canadian Sikh community about the targeted raids. Check out the full statement here.

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UPDATE (27.09.18)

WMP banned for Sikh events and establishments

A conglomerate of Sikh organisations (titled below) have come together to enforce a ban on West Midlands police (WMP) from using Sikh establishments or events for official representation.

The organisations are the Sikh Federation UK, the Sikh Network, the National Sikh Youth Federation, Sikh Youth UK, Shiromani Akali Dal UK, Rajoana TV, the Federation of Sikh Organisations and the Free Jaggi Now campaign. This means recruitment drives and talks from staff on official West Midlands police duty are no longer allowed at Gurdwaras or events such as Nagar Kirtans. With a strong Sikh population in the West Midlands, the presence of WMP on recruitment drives or using Sikh platforms to reach out to the community has been a familiar sight. This will no longer be the case for the foreseeable future, until the issue of WMP colluding with Indian authorities to raid the homes of Sikh activists has been addressed. Thus far, WMP have failed to address the claims made in Indian media that they were acting upon direction from Indian authorities.

Following the raids, although countless property has been seized by the police, no arrests were made and no explanation about the actual basis of the raids has been given.

 

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UPDATE (26.09.18)

Indian media releases names of Sikh activists raided, pointing towards WMP leak

The outrage about an obvious link between Indian intelligence and the actions of British police forces grew after Indian media released all five names of the Sikhs targeted in raids.

For both legal and ethical reasons, the Sikh Press Association will not repeat the identity of the individuals nor the publications which divulged their name.

The Sikh Press Association again contacted West Midlands Police about this, as they are the only organisation specifically named as working on behalf of the Indian state, who again simply stated no information on the raids has been given out.

The situation leads to only two possible possibilities; 1) WMP and other British authorities conducted the raids based upon direction from the Indian state, or 2) WMP have a leak that is providing confidential information to Indian sources, leading to Indian authorities taking credit for perceived moves against anti-Indian ‘extremism’.

The Sikh Press Association has directly requested an opportunity for the Sikh community to sit with and question WMP and all police forces involved.

 

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UPDATE (25.09.18)

The Hindustan Times have reported (23.09.18) an NIA (National Investigation Agency) official claiming “The raids were the result of diplomatic pressure created by India on the UK.”

Sikh PA senior press officer said of this latest statement, “It is incredibly bold of Indian state reps and Indian media to continue to openly tout their influence on UK police forces. Meanwhile, we are still seeing UK establishments blindly ignore this, whilst also avoiding questions and requests for clarification on the situation.”

 

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UPDATE (23.09.18)

Sikh activist raided speaks out

National Sikh Youth Federation spokesperson Shamsher Singh, one of those who was raided, explains his thoughts on why Sikhs were targeted and how this is reflective of Sikh history. Watch here.

The raids have now been linked with the current situation of Jagtar Singh Johal, the Scottish Sikh that has been detained by Indian authorities for just under a year, without any evidence or even witnesses presented against him. Read Sikh Siyasat’s report on this here.

 

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Original article from 21.09.18

Members of the Sikh community are questioning how Indian media have gotten hold of details about police raids on UK Sikh homes earlier this week, after outlets named two individuals allegedly impacted.

Concerns have arisen about how the outlets may have gotten hold of such sensitive information after West Midlands Police were said to have been the source of the information, something which they have denied to the Sikh Press Association.

 

For both legal and ethical reasons, the Sikh Press Association will not repeat the identity of the individuals nor the publications which divulged their name.

 

Somebody described as ‘a top Punjab police officer’ has been quoted by an Indian media outlet as saying: ‘We have received confirmation from WMCTU [West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit] that the residences of both […] and […] were searched. There was, however, no confirmation on any arrests yet.’

However, on Friday afternoon West Midlands Police confirmed to the Sikh Press Association its policy of only naming individuals once they have been charged. According to Sikh PA sources, it is against British police protocol to name anyone involved in a case unless they have at least been arrested and it is of public interest.

During one of the raids, which occurred across the Midlands and in London, property of a National Sikh Youth Federation activist was confiscated. Electronic items such as laptops and hard-drives were seized by officers. The group has warned that ‘sharing NSYF information with Indian security forces investigating “extremist activity in India” places the lives of associates and their family members in direct danger of further harassment, torture, and extrajudicial murder’, based on the long history and current actions of Punjab police and Indian authorities which involves torture and fake encounters murders.

 

A further statement from the National Sikh Youth Federation addressed the issue of the leaked name:

‘This information makes it abundantly clear that Indian state security forces have not only instigated UK police actions, but are also abusing international legal mechanisms by circumventing the procedures of the UK police and their own integrity to vindictively target Sikh activists by leaking information to the Indian media.

‘The National Sikh Youth Federation is deeply concerned that the personal data and legally privileged information of Sikh activists will be shared with Indian security forces placing the lives of Sikhs in Indian-Occupied East Punjab in extreme danger.

‘If it wasn’t clear before it should be absolutely clear now that the primary motivation of the Indian state is to silence Sikh dissent by presenting long standing Sikh political grievances with the Indian regime and support for Khalistan as extremism and terrorism.’

 

The reaction of Indian media towards the raids has prompted criticism from the Sikh Press Association, for both a lack of evidence and non-use of important facts in regards to allegations of ‘Sikh extremism’ in the UK.

Sikh Press Association senior press officer Jasveer Singh said, ‘It is incredibly worrying to learn that Indian media outlets are citing British police forces as a source of information that should not be available to them. Are these Indian outlets just speculating and using West Midlands Police as their cover? If so, West Midlands police must publicly condemn them, and should do so with full support of the UK government.

‘On the Indian media’s side, we should not expect much. There is a proven history of anti-Sikh propaganda that is spewed out from various outlets, all of which lack evidence, context, and are usually clearly biased against Sikh activism. The best example of this is the 2015/16 Sikh extremism fake dossier scandal, the outcome of which no Indian outlets – bar Sikh Siyasat – covered. In regards to the raids, whilst Indian media accuse the UK of harbouring Khalistani extremists, a peer reviewed CREST approved report which clears suggestions of this nature goes unmentioned by them. Even when reaching out to our Indian media contacts, we get messages back (see image below) which say journalists there are under government pressure not to cover stories which may expose their wrongdoings. The only thing we can do is ask UK media not to follow suit and republish their hyperbolic content.’

Widespread scepticism regarding the raids in the Sikh community led Britain’s first female Sikh MP and Chair of the APPG for British Sikhs Preet Kaur Gill to say on Thursday: ‘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 it is totally unacceptable.’ She added that she would be raising this matter with the Home Secretary Sajid Javid, and in a meeting with the Chief Superintendent of West Midlands Police.

The belief that the Indian state may be behind the raids has been echoed by many, including journalists, respected humanitarians and activists across the world.

Sikh PA will continue to provide updates to this story as more information comes out.