Son-in-law of Sikh activist Surat Singh Khalsa found murdered in Chicago

The son-in-law of Sikh activist Surat Singh Khalsa, who is currently on a fast since January, was found murdered in Chicago on Monday morning, according to reports. [caption id=“attachment_2396684” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “]  Surat Singh Khalsa. Image courtesy: Facebook[/caption] Satwinder Singh Bhola, the son-in law of the activist, was stabbed with a sharp-edged weapon in a parking lot near his house, reported the  Hindustan Times. The attackers haven’t been identified as yet. Khalsa has been on a fast since January demanding  the release of Sikh political prisoners, reported The Times of India.  The activist’s daughter, Sarvarinder Kaur, was reportedly alongside her father before she left for the US on 5 August. An  Indian Express report quoted supporters of the activist as saying that the murder could be an attempt to force Khalsa to give up his agitation. The report also said that Bhola had been in the US since the early 90s, when he took political asylum after being an active member of the Sikh students federation during the conflict in Punjab. An article in the Tribune from August 2011 says that Khalsa had served in the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) as general secretary from 1986 to 1988. According to the website freesikhprisoners.com, a website created to gather support for the agitation, 83-year old Khalsa has been arrested and force-fed three times during the course of his hunger strike. In March this year, NGO People’s Union for Civil Liberties had expressed concern over his health condition, describing the Punjab government’s response to his protest as “indifferent” and “insensitive,” according to an article in The Hindu.