India prevent British Sikh wife of imprisoned leader from returning to UK home for THIRD time

The British Sikh wife of imprisoned Sikh leader Bhai Amritpal Singh has once again been prevented from leaving India, she announced in a statement today.

Kirandeep Kaur, who was born and raised in England, stated “LOC issues” are being cited by Indian authorities for the reason she has been stopped from boarding flights back to the UK, first in April and now two this past week. Kaur is yet to be shown any official documentation detailing official reasons she is being prevented from flying out of India.

An LOC (Look Out Circular) is issued to make sure that an individual who is absconding or wanted by law enforcement agencies in India is not able to leave the country. Yet, Kirandeep has not been linked with, nor accused of any crime, let alone been charged with anything which would prevent her from leaving India. Kirandeep Kaur is the wife of Bhai Amritpal Singh, the Sikh community leader who was the central target of the #PunjabUnderSiege operation carried out from March to April earlier this year.

Like many of India’s controversial laws (such as UAPA and previously TADA), the LOC requirements and definitions remain obscure enough to be manipulated for use against anyone targeted by the state. An LOC can only be put into action by Deputy Secretary to the Government of India or Joint Secretary to the State government or a Superintendent of Police at the district level. The LOC has previously been challenged for breaching human rights of those it was imposed on, including respected journalist Rana Ayyub, whose Delhi High Court challenge of the LOC saw authorities admit “An LOC is a coercive measure to make a person surrender and consequentially interferes with petitioner’s right of personal liberty and free movement.”

In her statement, Kirandeep Kaur relayed how, after being denied travel in April, she since booked a flight to England in June, a month in advance to leave on 14^th July, for which she gave authorities due notice and was told she would be free to leave. On 14^th July authorities then asked her to wait a few more days. When Kaur again tried to fly on 19^th July, she was once again prevented from boarding her flight from Amritsar airport.

Kaur married Sikh leader Bhai Amritpal Singh in February this year. Bhai Amritpal Singh is the head of social reform group Waris Punjab De. At the time Singh was leading the Khalsa Vaheer campaign, tackling Punjab’s drug epidemic and the corruption facilitating it. Bhai Amritpal Singh also took on Punjab’s Police torture tactics and advocated for Sikh sovereignty (Khalistan, a free Sikh homeland) which led to him becoming a demonised figure within India’s Hindu extremist nationalist society.

On 18th March this year a mass police and army operation targeted Bhai Amritpal Singh and 1500+ Sikh activists, lawyers, journalists, politicians and anyone (including teachers and actors) that was deemed to be critical of India in Punjab. The internet and phone networks were shut-off intermittently across the state, as the operation – dubbed #PunjabUnderSiege – was carried out.

At this time, Bhai Amritpal Singh absconded authorities and stayed out of their reach for approximately a month, leading to the biggest manhunt in history to find him. Amritpal Singh handed himself on April 24^th, just days after his wife was prevented from leaving India (20^th April), in a viral incident which made national news in India.

Many human rights supporters are concerned that Kirandeep Kaur is being forced into overstaying her visa allowance in India, which will then allow Indian authorities a tangible reason for arresting her. Concerns for her wellbeing in the hands of authorities will peak, due to a long documented history of Indian police and prison officers sexually abusing detainees, particularly women.

In her statement, which was released on social media via WPD figures, Kaur further added:

“They do not want me to attend Avtar Singh Khanda’s funeral (I do not even know when and where the funeral is taking place) they are feeling uneasy about this, assuming that I will give a speech there. They fear I will ‘create a movement’”.

Bhai Avtar Singh Khanda is a UK based Khalistan figure who died in suspicious circumstances last month, in a case of suspected poisoning. His family remain searching for answers amid independent investigations. Khanda was the second of three Khalistan figures to die in a short span of time, with Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar murdered in Pakistan in May and Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar gunned down just over a week after Khanda’s passing, in Surrey (BC, Canada).

India media outlets and Hindu nationalist social commentators have openly attributed all three deaths to India’s intelligence services carrying out anti-Khalistan attacks. Since then, Indian media (who are ranked 161^st of 180 countries for press freedom) have reported on a 20-man “Sikh hit-list” of other Sikhs associated with support for Khalistan that will be targeted, including UK, American and Canadian citizens.

Sikh groups across the world are now pressing UK authorities to address the issue and force India to allow Kirandeep Kaur back to her home in England.

Media inquiries- media@sikhpa.com.

FULL STATEMENT FROM KIRANDEEP KAUR:

“I have been stopped for the 3rd time when going to England, as the law requires me to make an entry by 180 days. During April certain media and individuals thought I was “fleeing” back to England, one can not simply “flee” back home. Being a British citizen there are different rules that apply for me. Since then, I booked a flight for 14th July an exact month in advance “after” confirming that I will not have any issues. Up until the morning of departure I was being told that everything is clear for me to go, a few hours before boarding time I was being asked to not leave. They requested I wait some days until the 18th. Therefore, I booked a flight again for the 19th only to experience the same again. No offical has spoken to me directly, they are contacting those in contact with me to convey such messages. They do not want me to attend Avtar Singh Khanda’s funeral (I do not even know when and where the funeral is taking place) they are feeling uneasy about this, assuming that I will give a speech there. They fear I will “create a movement” It is the government and specific agencies stopping me from leaving. All I am trying to do is make a trip back required by law and also a human right to visit my family, my trip would’ve been for a week or two. I do not intend on staying there for a long period, my priority is my Husband. Officials say there is an LOC issues but are not being provided with any documents to show me that there is. If there is, then on what basis exactly and why are they refusing to show me. If there isn’t then they can’t stop me leaving the country.”