New Delhi: Sukhi Chahal, a prominent voice against Sikh extremism, has died in the US, with media reports suggesting that he passed away after a meal at an acquaintance’s house Thursday.
As Chahal’s health had suddenly deteriorated after the meal, friends said that they suspect the circumstances behind his death. An autopsy is being carried out to ascertain the cause of death. Chahal’s death came ahead of the controversial “referendum” on Khalistan scheduled for 17 August in Washington D.C.
Chahal, the founder and CEO of The Khalsa Today, a global Sikh advocacy, think tank & nonprofit media organisation in the US, was reportedly receiving death threats from Sikh extremist groups.
Chahal, a native of Punjab’s Mansa district, had moved to the US in 1992. He had passed out from Ludhiana’s Guru Nanak Engineering College. A computer engineer by profession, the 56-year-old went on to study at Stanford and UC Berkeley.
Known for his criticism of Sikh extremism, Chahal was also the founder and chairman of the Punjab Foundation, a Silicon Valley-based non-profit organisation providing assistance to underprivileged children for education.
He was vocal about religious conversions and other issues Sikh diaspora faces abroad and also how Sikh youth are lured by extremists groups. In the past, he said that addressing the arrests of Sikh individuals found involved in narcotics cases was very critical, especially from the point of Sikh leadership.
In an interview with ThePrint last December, Chahal had spoken extensively on the issue of Sikh separatism in the light of the attack on former Punjab chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple. The shooter, Narain Singh, is allegedly linked to the banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa.
Last month, Chahal had shared the news of the crackdown against gangs in the US, after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department arrested eight men of Indian origin in connection with a gang-related kidnapping and torture case in Stockton city of California.
Babbar Khalsa International-linked Pavittar Singh Batala, who is wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was among these eight men.
“As a proud member of the Sikh and Punjabi-American community, I firmly believe that we have a collective responsibility to cooperate with U.S. authorities and ensure the safety of this nation and future generations,” he had posted on X.
The Calfornia-based Sikh activist in the same post had questioned the connection between the arrested men and the “so-called & hijacked” Khalistan referendum movement led by the Sikhs For Justice.
Formed by Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in 2007, the SFJ was first banned for five years in 2019. The ban was extended for another five years in July 2024. Pannun, who reportedly fled to the US in 2007, has been on the radar of Indian investigation agencies since 2019.
On 28 July, which was his last post on X, Chahal had put up his latest interview with a media organisation on illegal migration from India to the US and on criminal and gangster networks. He also discussed SFJ’s Sikh separatism and criminal activities as well as the latest action by US President Donald Trump on illegal migration.
Here is an excerpt from my interview with Mr. Sanjay Suri, Europe Editor of News18, recorded at the USA-Mexico border. We discussed the growing concern of illegal migration from India to the United States, which increasingly includes elements linked to criminal and gangster…
— Sukhi Chahal ll ਸੁੱਖੀ ਚਾਹਲ (@realSukhiChahal) July 28, 2025
Social media reactions poured in after news of Chahal’s death came in. “We have lost our Sikh warrior @realSukhiChahal He stood boldly for the Sikh cause and fought tirelessly against radicalisation within our community. His truth lives on forever,” a social media user, identifying himself as Eknoor Singh Bajwa, wrote on X.
“My dear friend @realSukhiChahal tragically passed away yesterday. RIP. We stood shoulder to shoulder against the rising threat of Khalistani Jatt radicals,voices for truth in dangerous times. But I do suspect the circumstances around his death. This fight is far from over. His legacy won’t be silenced. We continue, louder, stronger, and united,” Harman Singh Kapoor wrote on X.
Kapoor is a London-based Sikh restaurant owner who has in the past spoken about receiving threats from Sikh extremists.
(Edited by Tony Rai)