$1000 for seat at the ALP table and chat with the minister

A $1000 Labor donation proved a good investment for Lovedeep Khakh who landed the seat next to Immigration Minister Andrew Giles at dinner.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, left, with Melbourne businessman Lovedeep Khakh at the $1000-a-head Labor election fundraising event.

An Indian-born sports promoter and smash repair big-wheel who flies dozens of foreign competitors into Australia for suburban tournaments attended a $1000-a-head Labor election fundraising dinner with federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.

Lovedeep Khakh, who runs Khakh Productions, sat next to Mr Giles at the dinner on October 2 during which migration agents lobbied the Albanese government minister over changes to nine visa categories.

Mr Khakh is a leading promoter of kabaddi — a traditional wrestling-based Indian sport — and recruits players from India, Pakistan and other countries for the tournaments.

Mr Khakh attended the fundraising dinner at Farm Vigano with migration agent Harjeet Chahal, who runs Aussizz Thomastown, and organises visas for Mr Khakh’s kabaddi players.

In a Facebook post after the private fundraising dinner, which was not attended by any federal departmental staff, Mr Chahal paid tribute to Mr Khakh: “Thanks to my bro. Love Khakh to accompany me to be a part of this event!!”

The event in South Morang, in Melbourne’s outer-northern suburbs, was organised to raise election campaign cash for Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio. Migration agents and Indian community figures who attended used the night to lobby Mr Giles about visa changes.

Mr Khakh and Mr Chahal sat next to the Albanese government’s Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs at the three-hour dinner.

Mr Khakh would not comment when asked by The Weekend Australian why he was at the dinner, citing next week’s state election.

“Because there is an election going on and people want to highlight things, I don’t want to be part of that,” he said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, second from right, at a Sikh temple in Blackburn in Melbourne’s east with Luckee Kohli, far right.

Mr Khakh is well positioned to play a big role in Victoria’s 2026 Commonwealth Games following confirmation this week that kabaddi would be an exhibition sport at the event.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced the kabaddi coup while visiting the Sikh temple in Blackburn on Wednesday. During the appearance, Mr Andrews sat next to Indian-born bottle-shop owner and close friend Luckee Kohli. Mr Kohli’s Mulgrave liquor outlet is around the corner from Mr Andrews’ house and the pair have forged a close friendship since the Premier won the 2014 election.

Indian community members say Mr Kohli often boasts about his access to the Premier and has plastered photos of the pair together on Facebook to reinforce his reputation as a man of influence. Mr Kohli did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Ravi Ragupathy, an independent Indian-born election candidate in the seat of Cranbourne, has criticised the kabaddi announcement. “It seems Luckee Kohli is an adviser to the Premier now,” Mr Ragupathy said. “This only favours the Punjab community.”

Mr Khakh’s panelbeating business, Danka’s Body Repairs, set up shop in a factory in Mason St, Campbellfield, in Melbourne’s outer-northern suburbs, around 2017. The business also advertised car finance and car-rental services.

When The Weekend Australian visited the Campbellfield business on Wednesday, all Danka’s Body Repair signage had been stripped from the front of the large tin shed. It’s unclear if Danka’s was still operating from the site. Mr Khakh declined to comment on Danka’s.

Mr Chahal has claimed on Facebook that Mr Giles was briefed on a detailed list of changes to multiple visa categories, including the fast-tracking of family and parent sponsorship and bridging visas for family members during the event. “It was very positive response from Honourable minister of ­Immigration and Citizenship,” Mr Chahal posted.

Among the changes raised during the evening were creating a priority service for subclass 600 visas that covers not only tourists and business visitors but foreign citizens. Mr Giles was also lobbied to fast-track employer-sponsored visas.