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LONDON: Three British Sikhs walked free from Westminster magistrates’ courtroom on Wednesday to chants of “the Khalsa will prevail” after an extradition case introduced by India collapsed.
Gursharanvir Singh Wahiwala and his brother Amritivir Singh Wahiwala from Coventry, and Piara Singh Gill, from Wolverhampton, raised their fists as they have been mobbed by a jubilant crowd of round 1,000 British Sikhs who had been protesting exterior the courtroom constructing.
The three males, wearing fits, had earlier sat within the dock and watched because the case towards them was dropped.
Daniel Sternberg, representing the Indian authorities, informed the decide: “We settle for the courtroom will not be going to be glad to a felony normal that this extradition request has a case to reply and it’s accepted the courtroom will discharge every of the lads, with out prejudice to the very fact India could in future search the extradition of those requested individuals for these offences or different issues. The totality of proof served will not be adequate to make a case requiring a case to reply to any of the fees within the extradition request. There would have to be new or additional proof to ensure that that place to be reconsidered.”
The lads, all born and raised within the UK, all married with youngsters, had been arrested at their houses in December 2020 based mostly on extradition warrants following an extradition request from India accusing them of conspiracy to homicide Rashtriya Sikh Sangat chief Rulda Singh in India in 2009.
Mark Summers QC, representing Piara and Gursharanvir, informed the courtroom: “This vindicates the defendants who’ve been pursued for 11 years with out proof.” He mentioned the “risk within the word” that India could need to begin once more is “frankly disturbing”. “Not solely does it contain the prospect this 11-year ordeal is probably not at an finish for my shoppers, however it could be abusive,” he mentioned.
Edward Fitzgerald QC, representing Amritivir, mentioned the extradition request was “made on the premise of wholly unsubstantiated allegations”, that his shopper was not even in India on the time of Rulda’s homicide, and that he “has at all times maintained his innocence proper from the beginning”.
District decide Michael Snow mentioned: “I discharge all of you. Nothing has been proved towards you and also you stay harmless of the fees.” He mentioned any additional extradition request would wish to return again earlier than him so he may see if there was additional proof earlier than any warrant was issued.
Exterior courtroom a consultant of the household learn out an announcement hailing it as a “victory for the Khalsa Panth” and referred to as for an unbiased inquiry “into why the house workplace accepted India’s extradition request right into a case which the UK authorities already investigated 10 years in the past and concluded no additional motion was required”.
“It’s a shame to the British judicial system that the house workplace allowed this fabricated case to achieve this stage. We by no means thought an extradition request towards British-born Sikhs could be accepted — however it was. It’s surprising that our extradition papers have been signed a day after Dominic Raab returned from India after securing a commerce cope with India,” the consultant of the household mentioned.
Dabinderjit Singh, principal adviser to the Sikh Federation (UK), questioned why dwelling secretary Priti Patel had licensed the extradition request. He referred to as for her resignation.
Sukhjeevan Singh, senior adviser to the Sikh Council UK, mentioned: “That is one thing for our group to have fun as UK-born Sikhs think about the judicial system within the UK. In the present day is a very a check of that religion and we’re glad that this case, which didn’t have important advantage, was dropped.”
Gursharanvir Singh Wahiwala and his brother Amritivir Singh Wahiwala from Coventry, and Piara Singh Gill, from Wolverhampton, raised their fists as they have been mobbed by a jubilant crowd of round 1,000 British Sikhs who had been protesting exterior the courtroom constructing.
The three males, wearing fits, had earlier sat within the dock and watched because the case towards them was dropped.
Daniel Sternberg, representing the Indian authorities, informed the decide: “We settle for the courtroom will not be going to be glad to a felony normal that this extradition request has a case to reply and it’s accepted the courtroom will discharge every of the lads, with out prejudice to the very fact India could in future search the extradition of those requested individuals for these offences or different issues. The totality of proof served will not be adequate to make a case requiring a case to reply to any of the fees within the extradition request. There would have to be new or additional proof to ensure that that place to be reconsidered.”
The lads, all born and raised within the UK, all married with youngsters, had been arrested at their houses in December 2020 based mostly on extradition warrants following an extradition request from India accusing them of conspiracy to homicide Rashtriya Sikh Sangat chief Rulda Singh in India in 2009.
Mark Summers QC, representing Piara and Gursharanvir, informed the courtroom: “This vindicates the defendants who’ve been pursued for 11 years with out proof.” He mentioned the “risk within the word” that India could need to begin once more is “frankly disturbing”. “Not solely does it contain the prospect this 11-year ordeal is probably not at an finish for my shoppers, however it could be abusive,” he mentioned.
Edward Fitzgerald QC, representing Amritivir, mentioned the extradition request was “made on the premise of wholly unsubstantiated allegations”, that his shopper was not even in India on the time of Rulda’s homicide, and that he “has at all times maintained his innocence proper from the beginning”.
District decide Michael Snow mentioned: “I discharge all of you. Nothing has been proved towards you and also you stay harmless of the fees.” He mentioned any additional extradition request would wish to return again earlier than him so he may see if there was additional proof earlier than any warrant was issued.
Exterior courtroom a consultant of the household learn out an announcement hailing it as a “victory for the Khalsa Panth” and referred to as for an unbiased inquiry “into why the house workplace accepted India’s extradition request right into a case which the UK authorities already investigated 10 years in the past and concluded no additional motion was required”.
“It’s a shame to the British judicial system that the house workplace allowed this fabricated case to achieve this stage. We by no means thought an extradition request towards British-born Sikhs could be accepted — however it was. It’s surprising that our extradition papers have been signed a day after Dominic Raab returned from India after securing a commerce cope with India,” the consultant of the household mentioned.
Dabinderjit Singh, principal adviser to the Sikh Federation (UK), questioned why dwelling secretary Priti Patel had licensed the extradition request. He referred to as for her resignation.
Sukhjeevan Singh, senior adviser to the Sikh Council UK, mentioned: “That is one thing for our group to have fun as UK-born Sikhs think about the judicial system within the UK. In the present day is a very a check of that religion and we’re glad that this case, which didn’t have important advantage, was dropped.”
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