As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak prepares for his upcoming trip to India, he is facing renewed calls to prioritize the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen who has been detained in India since 2017. Johal, a Sikh from Dumbarton, Scotland, was arrested shortly after his wedding in Punjab and has been accused of conspiracy to murder and involvement in a terrorist group.
Despite being acquitted on all charges in one of the nine cases against him in March 2025, Johal remains imprisoned, with eight other "essentially duplicate" cases still pending. These cases relate to allegations that Johal transferred money to co-conspirators, which Indian authorities claim was used to fund attacks in Punjab in 2016 and 2017. However, authorities do not claim Johal was directly involved in any of the attacks. Johal's legal team argues that the charges are based on a forced confession obtained through torture, including the use of electric shocks, and that he was made to sign blank documents.
The central allegation in all nine cases is that Johal transferred money to supposed co-conspirators, and that this was used to fund a series of attacks in Punjab in 2016-17. The Indian authorities do not claim Johal was directly involved in any of these attacks.
Human rights organizations and legal experts have condemned Johal's continued detention, asserting that it violates international law and the principle of "double jeopardy," which prevents individuals from being tried multiple times for the same crime. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has declared Johal's detention arbitrary and called for his immediate release.
Adding to concerns, Johal was moved to solitary confinement after his acquittal in the first case, raising fears about his mental and physical well-being. His brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, has voiced concerns about the UK government's response, expressing unhappiness with what he sees as a lack of "political will" to secure his brother's release. He has urged Foreign Secretary David Lammy to use any trip to India to call for Johal's release and has called on Prime Minister Sunak to break the "cycle of failure" that has marked previous attempts to resolve the case.
The UK government has stated that it "has consistently raised Mr. Johal's case with the Government of India and is committed to doing what it can to assist him". However, Johal's family and supporters are seeking more decisive action, urging the Prime Minister to make a stand and ensure that Johal's case is central to discussions with Indian officials. They argue that Johal's imprisonment is a political problem that requires a political solution. Some reports suggest that the UK's intelligence agencies may have inadvertently contributed to Johal's arrest by providing information to Indian authorities. This has led to legal action against the UK government and increased scrutiny of its role in the case. As Prime Minister Sunak's trip to India approaches, the pressure is mounting for him to address Johal's case and work towards securing his release, bringing an end to his seven-year ordeal.
