Indian Family Accused of Faking Afghan Identity to Seek Asylum, Court Told

A family of Indian nationals accused of falsely posing as Afghans to claim asylum in the UK have denied entering the country without proper authorization.

Gurbakhsh Singh, 72, his wife Ardet Kaur, 68, their son Guljeet Singh, 44, and his wife Kawaljeet Kaur, 37, are alleged to have entered the UK without passports or valid entry clearance.

Authorities claim the family made two unsuccessful attempts to secure visas as Indian nationals before arriving in London on December 23, 2023.

They were detained at Heathrow Airport and initially charged with attempting to gain entry to the UK through deception by claiming to be Afghan asylum seekers.

Kawaljeet Kaur previously pleaded not guilty at Croydon Crown Court to two counts of entering the UK without valid clearance or a passport.

The remaining family members entered not guilty pleas to the same charges during a court appearance on Thursday, with the help of an interpreter.

All four have been released on unconditional bail ahead of their scheduled seven-day trial on February 2, 2026.

Judge Antony Dunne denied a request from Kawaljeet Kaur’s barrister, Erin McKee, to impose reporting restrictions until the trial concludes.