London: Three British Sikhs walk free Westminster The magistrate’s court on Wednesday raised slogans of “the Khalsa will win” after the extradition case brought by India failed.
Gursharanveer Singh Wahiwala and his brother Amritveer Singh Wahiwala from Coventry, and Piara Singh Gill of Wolverhampton raised their fists as they were surrounded by a mob of about 1,000 British Sikhs who were protesting outside the court building.
Three men in suits were sitting in the courtroom earlier and kept watching that the case against them was dropped.
Daniel Sternberg, representing the Indian government, told the judge: “We acknowledge that the court is not going to be satisfied with a criminal standard that there is a case to respond to this extradition request and it is acknowledged that the court is shall discharge the male without prejudice to the fact that India may in future seek the extradition of these requested persons for these offenses or other matters. The totality of the evidence given is not sufficient to make up the case. There would need to be new or more evidence to reconsider that position.”
The men, all born and raised in the UK, all married with children, were arrested at their homes on an extradition warrant in December 2020 after an extradition request from India charged them with conspiracy to murder was imposed. National Sikh Association Leader Rulda Singh in India in 2009
Mark Summers QC, representing Piara and Gursharanveer, told the court: “This justifies the defendants who are being pursued without evidence for 11 years.” He said the “danger in the note” that India wants to reintroduce is “clearly disturbing”. “Not only does this include the possibility that this 11-year ordeal may not be the end of my clients, but it could be humiliating,” he said.
Edward Fitzgerald QC, representing Amritveer, said the extradition request was “based on completely baseless allegations”, that his client was not even in India at the time of Rulda’s murder, and that he “always maintained his innocence.” Is.” Start”.
District Judge Michael Snow said: “I acquit you all. Nothing has been proved against you and you are acquitted of the charges.” He said any extradition requests would need to come back to him so he could see if there was more evidence before a warrant could be issued.
A representative of the family outside the court read a statement calling it a “victory of the Khalsa Panth” and called for an independent investigation into “why the Home Office accepted India’s extradition request in a case that UK authorities had previously denied”. The same was investigated 10 years ago. and concluded that no further action was required”.
“It is a disgrace to the British judicial system that the Home Office allowed this fabricated case to reach this level. We never thought an extradition request against British-born Sikhs would be accepted – but it was. It was. Shocking that our extradition papers were signed a day after Dominic Raab returned from India after entering into a trade deal with India,” the family representative said.
Sikh Federation (UK) principal advisor Dabinderjit Singh questioned why the Home Secretary? Preeti Patel The extradition request was certified. He demanded his resignation.
Sukhjivan Singh, Senior Advisor, Sikh Council UK, said: “This is something to celebrate for our community as UK-born Sikhs have faith in the judicial system in the UK. Today is really a test of that belief and we are delighted that This case, which did not have significant merit, was dropped.”
Gursharanveer Singh Wahiwala and his brother Amritveer Singh Wahiwala from Coventry, and Piara Singh Gill of Wolverhampton raised their fists as they were surrounded by a mob of about 1,000 British Sikhs who were protesting outside the court building.
Three men in suits were sitting in the courtroom earlier and kept watching that the case against them was dropped.
Daniel Sternberg, representing the Indian government, told the judge: “We acknowledge that the court is not going to be satisfied with a criminal standard that there is a case to respond to this extradition request and it is acknowledged that the court is shall discharge the male without prejudice to the fact that India may in future seek the extradition of these requested persons for these offenses or other matters. The totality of the evidence given is not sufficient to make up the case. There would need to be new or more evidence to reconsider that position.”
The men, all born and raised in the UK, all married with children, were arrested at their homes on an extradition warrant in December 2020 after an extradition request from India charged them with conspiracy to murder was imposed. National Sikh Association Leader Rulda Singh in India in 2009
Mark Summers QC, representing Piara and Gursharanveer, told the court: “This justifies the defendants who are being pursued without evidence for 11 years.” He said the “danger in the note” that India wants to reintroduce is “clearly disturbing”. “Not only does this include the possibility that this 11-year ordeal may not be the end of my clients, but it could be humiliating,” he said.
Edward Fitzgerald QC, representing Amritveer, said the extradition request was “based on completely baseless allegations”, that his client was not even in India at the time of Rulda’s murder, and that he “always maintained his innocence.” Is.” Start”.
District Judge Michael Snow said: “I acquit you all. Nothing has been proved against you and you are acquitted of the charges.” He said any extradition requests would need to come back to him so he could see if there was more evidence before a warrant could be issued.
A representative of the family outside the court read a statement calling it a “victory of the Khalsa Panth” and called for an independent investigation into “why the Home Office accepted India’s extradition request in a case that UK authorities had previously denied”. The same was investigated 10 years ago. and concluded that no further action was required”.
“It is a disgrace to the British judicial system that the Home Office allowed this fabricated case to reach this level. We never thought an extradition request against British-born Sikhs would be accepted – but it was. It was. Shocking that our extradition papers were signed a day after Dominic Raab returned from India after entering into a trade deal with India,” the family representative said.
Sikh Federation (UK) principal advisor Dabinderjit Singh questioned why the Home Secretary? Preeti Patel The extradition request was certified. He demanded his resignation.
Sukhjivan Singh, Senior Advisor, Sikh Council UK, said: “This is something to celebrate for our community as UK-born Sikhs have faith in the judicial system in the UK. Today is really a test of that belief and we are delighted that This case, which did not have significant merit, was dropped.”
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