Pair held in Birmingham after Charity Commission inquiry into Sikh Youth UK

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Two people have been arrested by counter-terrorism police after a Charity Commission investigation into a Sikh youth group.

A 38-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman were detained on Wednesday at an address in Birmingham, West Midlands police said.

The arrests resulted from an examination of evidence found during searches in September last year and are linked to a commission investigation into the Sikh Youth UK organisation.

The force said the arrests were “in connection with alleged fraud offences of donated charitable funds”.

The commission said the inquiry was examining whether donations had been properly administered by Sikh Youth UK, its trustees’ conduct, its partnerships with other charities and its financial management.

The profile of Sikh Youth UK has risen in recent years for campaigns that have included, as stated on its website, “raising awareness on social evils and supporting the victims of sexual grooming, substance abuse and domestic violence within the community”.

Other activities have included commemorating those who died during Operation Blue Star, India’s bloody crackdown on Sikh separatists seeking independence, in 1984.

Sikh Youth UK is not a registered charity but the independent regulator has jurisdiction over it because the funds being scrutinised in the investigation are charitable.

Police raised concerns with the commission in October in relation to the group’s receipts and use of donations.

The commission then obtained copies of bank statements and analysis identified “a number of regulatory concerns which warrant further investigation”.

A formal inquiry was opened on 15 November by the commission, which said it would also examine the organisation’s status to determine whether it was a charity in law.

A spokesperson said: “Those running the organisation have not applied to register with the commission.”

West Midlands police said the two people arrested were being held at a station in the West Midlands.