Avtar Singh Khanda, Amritpal Aide and Head of Khalistan Liberation Force, Dies of Blood Cancer in UK

Avtar Singh Khanda, handler of arrested Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh, has died in UK, with top intelligence sources telling CNN-News18 that the cause of his death was blood cancer.

The UK-based head of Khalistan Liberation Force died at Birmingham City Hospital at around 12:45 am (IST) on Thursday, sources said.

Khanda was hospitalised in London after he was diagnosed with blood cancer on Wednesday, where he was put on life support.

Sources said Khanda’s body got poisoned as a clot burst due to the cancer.

Avtar Singh Khanda had groomed Amritpal and also propped him up in Punjab as the leader of ‘Waris Punjab De’ after its founder Deep Sidhu’s death.

He was arrested in the UK for pulling down India’s national flag at the embassy in London.

Khanda, accused of training Sikh youths on how to make live bombs and handling of IEDs, was in the early stages of blood cancer.

Khanda was reportedly the head of the London unit of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and was the son of KLF terrorist Kulwant Singh Khukhrana.

Amritpal was arrested from Punjab’s Moga district on April 23. He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempting to murder, attacking police personnel, and creating obstructions in public servants’ lawful discharge of duty.