For nearly two decades Rangrez in London’s Hammersmith served Indian dishes such as tadka dal, karahi chicken, butter chicken, shahi paneer and desi curries. Moreover the restaurant became a home away from home for thousands of Indians over 16 years. However the Sikh owner Harman Singh Kapoor announced its closure in an emotional post on Tuesday.
He blamed rising costs, online harassment, repeated disturbances and attacks by Pakistanis along with lack of proper support from the Met Police. Additionally Kapoor, who also runs other businesses in London, stated that these pressures made continuation impossible.
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History Of Threats And Attacks
Kapoor has openly criticised radical Khalistani elements and says those views made him a target. Furthermore his Instagram profile with over 77,000 followers includes posts mocking Pakistan and criticising Khalistani supporters. It also contains remarks against the UK police and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Part of his anger toward authorities stems from what he describes as inadequate police response during attacks on his residence and restaurant. In fact last month he shared a video showing a masked man vandalising his car parked outside his London home while he remained abroad.
He wrote that law-abiding citizens face abandonment while criminals act freely and called the silence unacceptable. Even last year a group of Pakistanis attacked him. In a video Kapoor claimed he called police immediately yet officers arrested him after the group accused him of starting the fight. He said he got arrested because his name is not Khan and he is not a terrorist.
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Trouble Over Khalistani Criticism
Kapoor’s outspoken stance on the Khalistani issue created trouble in 2023 as well. In March 2023 he temporarily closed Rangrez after alleged Khalistani supporters targeted the premises. He described men carrying concealed weapons who banged on glass doors and shouted Punjabi slurs.
A video on his Instagram shows men dressed in black striking the doors. He later told media that he locked the doors in time while two customers stayed inside and everyone felt terrified. A few months earlier he claimed attackers targeted his London home multiple times within one hour.
Since then his family has lived in fear while he reported receiving death and rape threats. He believes a TikTok video criticising the Khalistani movement and rising radical activity triggered the backlash.
At that time India and the UK faced a diplomatic row over the long-standing Khalistani demand for an independent state carved out of Punjab. The restaurant attack occurred days after supporters of Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh protested at the Indian High Commission in London and tore the Indian flag. Subsequently India accused the UK of giving space to radical Khalistani elements, leading to diplomatic tensions.
A New Path After Closure
Since 2023 Kapoor says constant threats and fear of violence changed his life. In an interview with ANI that year he rejected the belief that London guaranteed safety. He said he has lived in the UK for 26 years and observed increased Khalistani activity over the past 1.5 years.
He added that his viral video drew attention and critics demanded he remove the clip and apologise, yet he refused. Although Rangrez shaped London’s dining scene for 16 years, Kapoor views its closure not as an end but as a beginning. He declared that he will now dedicate himself fully to activism without distraction.
