A Delhi court has granted bail to Jagtar Singh Johal, a British Sikh man who has been detained in India since 2017 on charges related to alleged terrorism offences. Johal, 39, was arrested over accusations of financing the Khalistan Liberation Force, a group accused of carrying out targeted killings in the Indian state of Punjab. His trial has been delayed multiple times amid repeated failure by prosecutors to present verifiable evidence. Last year, several charges against him were dropped.
Johal, originally from Dumbarton, Scotland, travelled to India for his wedding in late 2017. On November 4 of that year, while shopping with his wife and a relative in Jalandhar, Punjab, he was reportedly seized by unidentified men who placed a hood over his head and took him away in an unmarked vehicle. Johal has alleged that he was denied access to legal counsel and subjected to torture in an effort to coerce a confession. Questions remain about whether British intelligence agencies may have provided information that led to his arrest.
Legal representatives and human rights organizations involved in Johal’s case have welcomed the bail decision but emphasized that it does not erase the hardship caused by nearly a decade of detention without a finalized trial. Dan Dolan, deputy executive director of the advocacy group Reprieve, which represents Johal, highlighted concerns over ongoing legal challenges, including the fact that Johal still faces the death penalty in eight cases tied to charges similar to those of which he was already acquitted. Dolan also stressed the need to ensure the bail conditions are properly implemented without obstruction.
Gurpreet Singh Johal, Jagtar’s brother who also lives in Dumbarton, expressed relief at the court’s ruling after years of legal battles involving multiple court levels. He said the family had endured an “expensive rollercoaster” of judicial contests and sleepless nights waiting for the decision. Despite this development, organizations such as Redress have called for further accountability regarding allegations of torture and the overall conduct of the legal process against Johal, describing the lengthy detention as arbitrary and the proceedings as deeply flawed.
UK officials have acknowledged that the case has been prolonged but have been cautious about advocating for Johal’s release. The bail ruling marks a significant juncture in a complex legal saga that has drawn international attention and criticism from human rights advocates concerned about potential violations of due process and abuse.