Khanda’s mother, Charanjit Kaur and younger sister, Jaspreet Kaur, who live in Moga, Punjab, had their visas refused by the UK home office, meaning not a single immediate family member was present. They instead watched the funeral on a live stream as they had been unable to obtain the necessary documents to repatriate his body to India. There were no police to be seen at the funeral.
According to Sky News, which has seen the visa refusal letter, it mentioned the March 19, 2023 incident when the Indian flag was pulled down from outside the Indian high commission in London and included three links to Indian media articles which claimed Khanda had pulled the flag down.
However, the Metropolitan Police in a statement on Saturday told TOI: “Avtar Singh Khanda was not arrested or charged as part of this investigation (the March 19 incident). A 22-year-old man was arrested and bailed pending further enquiries. He remains on bail. We do not identify people who are arrested, so I cannot confirm his identity.”
The detention of Charanjit and Jaspreet for questioning was also referenced in the refusal letter, as was the claim there was a risk they would overstay their visas.
Khanda’s father, Kulwant Singh Khukhrana, was a Khalistan Liberation Force leader killed by Indian security forces in 1991. Khanda died on June 15 at Birmingham City Hospital from terminal blood cancer. He was a very active Khalistan activist who is said to have groomed incarcerated Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh and brokered his marriage to Briton Kirandep Kaur. He was also close to actor-turned-Khalistan-activist Deep Sidhu, who was killed in a road accident in India in February 2022.
Khanda’s coffin was brought to Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick in a white carriage pulled by four white horses with orange feathers on their heads. Hundreds of mourners holding Khalistan flags lined the streets. On top of the carriage were white wreaths spelling the words “Khalistan” — one for each letter on one side — and the letters for “Zindabaad” on the other. There were also two yellow “Khalistan flags” fixed to the carriage.
The carriage was followed by a black hearse carrying wreaths of letters that spelled the words “Sadaveer” and “Brother”. Hundreds of his supporters queued up to pay their last respects to him in an open casket, many holding Khalistan flags.
His coffin was returned to the carriage as the crowd shouted “Khalistan Zindabad”. The carriage carried Khanda’s body to Sandwell crematorium. Mourners walked behind the carriage in a procession shouting further Khalistan slogans as it arrived at the crematorium. The words “Khalistan Zindabad” were printed on the side of the coffin.