Jagtar Singh Johal Released on Bail in India After Nearly Nine Years Behind Bars

A Scottish Sikh activist who spent almost a decade in an Indian prison without ever being convicted of a crime has been released on bail, marking a significant development in a case that has drawn international scrutiny over allegations of torture, arbitrary detention and a lengthy legal process that shows no sign of concluding.

Jagtar Singh Johal, a 39-year-old from Dumbarton in West Dunbartonshire, walked free from a prison in Delhi after being granted bail by the Delhi High Court on 18 September. His release from detention only materialised on 1 October, suggesting a delay of nearly two weeks between the court's decision and his actual departure from custody.

The case has been a long-running source of tension and campaigning, with Johal's family, legal representatives and human rights organisations repeatedly calling for his freedom. His detention began in 2017, when he was arrested in the Punjab region just weeks after his wedding in the country. What was meant to be a celebratory period for the family instead became the start of a near-decade-long ordeal.

Indian authorities have accused Johal of involvement in a series of targeted killings of religious and political figures. Specifically, prosecutors allege that he travelled to Paris in 2013 and handed approximately £3,000 to the Khalistan Liberation Force, an armed organisation that has carried out violent attacks in pursuit of a separate Sikh state. The Indian government claims this money was used to fund weapons used to kill, or attempt to kill, religious and political figures in Punjab during 2016 and 2017.

The authorities further allege that Johal is a member of the KLF and that he "actively participated and had complete knowledge of the conspiracy." These are serious accusations that, if proven, could carry the most severe penalties under Indian law, including the death penalty, which Johal continues to face in relation to federal charges across eight separate cases.

However, Johal has consistently denied all allegations against him. His supporters present a very different account of why he was targeted. They argue that he was singled out not for any involvement in violence, but because he blogged about alleged human rights abuses against the Sikh community in India. According to his legal team and family, he was coerced into signing a false confession to participation in the killings and no concrete evidence has ever been presented against him.

The case has attracted significant attention from international bodies. In 2022, a United Nations panel recognised Johal's imprisonment as arbitrary detention, a ruling that added weight to the arguments of those campaigning for his release. Johal has also claimed to have been tortured while in custody, an allegation that Indian authorities have previously denied. The Indian government has repeatedly maintained that due process is being followed in his case.

As part of his bail conditions, Johal has been required to surrender his passport, which effectively prevents him from leaving India. He is also barred from speaking to the media about the case. These restrictions underline that while his release from prison is a major step, he remains far from having his situation fully resolved.

Last year, Johal was acquitted in one case where he had been accused of financially supporting the KLF terror group. Despite that acquittal, he remained in prison because he still faced federal charges in eight other cases. His legal team has argued that these remaining cases are almost identical to the one in which he was acquitted and that the other charges should be dismissed on that basis.

The bail order issued by the Delhi High Court concluded that the trial is "certainly not likely to conclude anytime soon," acknowledging the extraordinary length of proceedings. Over the past nine years, there have been hundreds of hearings, a volume of legal activity that contrasts starkly with the absence of a final verdict. This glacial pace has been a central complaint of Johal's supporters, who argue that the prolonged detention amounts to punishment without conviction.

His brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, who has campaigned tirelessly and lobbied successive UK governments calling for his release, described the bail decision as a "really important milestone." He added: "It is just a first step, but it is a step in the right direction." The measured tone reflects both relief at the release and awareness that the legal battle is far from over.

The development was welcomed by politicians and by the legal charities Redress and Reprieve, both of which have represented Johal in the United Kingdom. Reprieve's deputy executive director, Dan Dolan, called the release "a really important moment" but stressed that Johal still faces the death penalty on what he described as "trumped up charges."

Dolan warned against viewing the release as the end of the matter. "It is really important that we recognise he's not out of the woods yet," he said. "We now really need to push to get him home." His comments signal that the campaign will continue, with the priority now shifting to securing Johal's return to Scotland.

Redress also responded to the news, stating that Johal's release from prison could not undo "the intolerable suffering caused by nine years of arbitrary detention." The organisation's words capture the human cost of the case, which has consumed nearly a decade of Johal's life, separated him from his family and subjected him to what his supporters describe as a deeply unjust legal process.

The case has been closely followed in Scotland, particularly in Dumbarton, where Johal is from, and has raised broader questions about the treatment of Sikh activists and the fairness of India's judicial system in politically sensitive cases. It has also placed pressure on UK governments, with Johal's family repeatedly urging ministers to intervene on his behalf.

For now, Johal is out of prison but confined to India, his passport surrendered and his ability to speak publicly restricted. The eight remaining cases against him mean that the threat of severe punishment, including the death penalty, has not been removed. His legal team is expected to continue pushing for the dismissal of those charges, arguing that the acquittal last year undermines the basis of the remaining allegations.

The release marks the first time in almost nine years that Johal has been free from detention, but it is a partial freedom. The road ahead remains uncertain, with complex legal proceedings continuing in India and a family still waiting for a resolution that would allow him to return home to Scotland. For his supporters, the bail decision is a welcome step but not the conclusion they ultimately seek.