Scot imprisoned in India for seven years Jagtar Singh Johal acquitted in first court trial

A Scottish man who facing the death penalty in India, having been imprisoned without trial for seven years, has been acquitted on all charges in the first case against him.

Jagtar Singh Johal, 37, appeared in court by video link in Punjab on Tuesday after legal proceedings were beset by delays.

Mr Johal faces nine cases, eight of which are in the federal court, on terror charges relating to political violence in the north of India. It took prosecutors nearly five years to charge him.

With the acquittal in the first case on Tuesday, his lawyers believe the same will happen in the remaining eight cases and he will walk free.

Jagtar Singh Johal, 33, was arrested on November 4, 2017 after travelling to the Punjab for his wedding (Singh Johal family/PA) Singh Johal family

His brother Gurpreet Johal, has been campaigning for Jagtar Johal’s release since his arrest.

“Jagtar has not been able to hug his wife for seven years,” he said.

“All this time, he’s been locked up in an Indian jail for something he didn’t do.

“We’ve always said the allegations against Jagtar are baseless, and now the court in Punjab has agreed, the whole case against him has been exposed as a fabrication.

“I will only believe this nightmare is over when he’s here with us at home, but today feels like a significant moment. Surely, the UK Government recognises that this injustice cannot continue?”

Mr Johal was arrested in November 2017 in Punjab, northern India, while in the country for his wedding.

The Sikh rights campaigner and blogger was born in Glasgow and grew up in Dumbarton.

The central allegation in all nine cases is that Mr Johal transferred money which was then used to fund a series of attacks in Punjab in 2016-17.

This claim has now been rejected by the court in Punjab, as prosecutors did not supply enough credible evidence to support it.

He is said to have been tortured, including with electric shocks, and faces the death penalty for eight charges in India.

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

West Dumbartonshire MP Douglas McAllister and Jagtar's brother Gurpreet Singh Johal. — West Dumbartonshire MP Douglas McAllister and Jagtar’s brother Gurpreet Singh Johal. Reprieve

Mr Johal 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.

His 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.”