UK Sanctions British National and ‘Babbar Akali Lehar’ Body For Terrorist Activity In India
New Delhi: The UK treasury on Thursday (December 4) sanctioned a British national as well as an organisation named Babbar Akali Lehar for alleged terrorist activity in India and supporting the Sikh extremist Babbar Khalsa group.
This is the first time the UK has used its domestic counter-terrorism regime to disrupt funding for the pro-Khalistan Babbar Khalsa, the treasury said.
Whitehall sanctioned 34-year-old Leeds resident Gurpreet Singh Rehal after assessing that he allegedly promoted or encouraged, recruited for, provided financial services to and purchased weapons and military material for Babbar Khalsa and Babbar Akali Lehar.
It also sanctioned Babbar Akali Lehar for allegedly promoting or encouraging and carrying out recruitment for Babbar Khalsa in addition to itself.
British citizens and entities are prohibited from dealing with funds or economic resources owned, held or controlled by Rehal, Babbar Akali Lehar or any of their firms.
They are also prohibited from allowing Rehal to act as a director or participate in the management of any company, the British treasury said, adding that violations of these sanctions are punishable by up to seven years' jail or civil monetary penalties.
“We will not stand by while terrorists exploit Britain's financial system,” economic secretary to the treasury Lucy Rigby said per a press release.
Britain will “choke off funding for terrorism” regardless of where it occurs or who caused it, and “stands firmly with peaceful communities against those who promote violence and hatred”, she said.
Babbar Khalsa, also known as Babbar Khalsa International, is a pro-Khalistan, Sikh extremist group best-known for being behind the mid-air bombing of Air India flight 182 in 1985, following which all 329 people aboard, mostly Canadian citizens, were killed. On the same day it also detonated another bomb that killed two baggage handlers at the Tokyo Narita airport.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while meeting his British opposite number Keir Starmer – both at the latter's Chequers residence in July and in Mumbai in October – raised the issue of Khalistani extremist activity in Britain.
In March 2023, the Indian high commission in London was targeted by Khalistani protesters, which raised alarm in New Delhi.
The British government has maintained that peaceful demonstrations cannot be banned but Starmer and Modi agreed in October on the need to act against extremist elements within their respective legal systems, Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said.
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