Government urged to press India to free British man after acquittal

The Government has been urged to act to free a British man detained in India for years after he was cleared in one of the cases against him.

Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton, near Glasgow, was in Punjab, northern India, for his wedding in 2017 when his family said he was arrested and bundled into an unmarked car.

Mr Johal has been acquitted in a case in Punjab but is still facing a series of charges at federal level.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy is due to meet his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday for talks on trade and investment.

West Dunbartonshire MP Douglas McAllister said: “The Government must act now to secure Jagtar’s release.

“This is a unique opportunity to secure a resolution with the Indian authorities and bring this young British man back to his family in Dumbarton.

“Without decisive diplomatic action, he faces being imprisoned for decades while the remaining trials drag on, despite the complete lack of credible evidence against him.”

Mr Johal is said to have been tortured, including with electric shocks, and faces the death penalty because of his campaigning for Sikh rights.

He said he was forced to sign a blank confession after being tortured and made to record a video which was broadcast on Indian TV.

The 37-year-old has been held in solitary confinement in a prison in Delhi since 2019.

In 2022, a United Nations panel acknowledged Mr Johal had been arbitrarily detained in India.

Dan Dolan, director of advocacy and policy at advocacy group Reprieve, said: “Despite being cleared … Jagtar still faces the threat of the death penalty in the eight duplicate cases against him.

“The central allegation in all nine cases is the same but prosecutors have supplied no credible evidence to support it, either in Punjab or the remaining eight NIA (National Investigation Agency) cases.

“And it has now been tested and rejected in court. There is no physical evidence, no email trail, no CCTV footage, no record of a bank transfer, no notes or recordings of telephone calls, and so the court quite rightly found him not guilty.”

The Sikh Federation said it was a “massive step forward” in efforts to free him and urged the UK Government to keep up pressure.

Dabinderjit Singh, the federation’s political engagement lead, said: “Jagtar’s acquittal today due to a lack of credible evidence is a massive step forward to get him released and back home to the UK to be reunited with his family.”

Mr Singh said it “opens up the way” for other charges to be dropped.

“The UK Government need to keep up pressure and prepare to get him home quickly so he can be with his family and begin to enjoy married life,” he added.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) welcomed the acquittal.

A spokesperson said: “We welcome the progress in the case.

“The UK Government remains committed to working for faster progress on Jagtar’s case, and the FCDO continue to work to support Mr Johal and his family.

“The Foreign Secretary met Mr Johal’s brother, Member of Parliament and a representative from Reprieve on 30 October 2024.”