Jagtar Singh Johal released from Delhi prison after bail

British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal has been released from prison in Delhi after nearly nine years in custody, after the Delhi High Court granted him bail. His release followed a delay of almost two weeks, during which his lawyers said prison officials refused to free him despite the bail order.

Johal, from Dumbarton in Scotland, was arrested on 4 November 2017 in Jalandhar, Punjab, three weeks after his wedding. Plain-clothed police officers took him off the street in front of witnesses, including family members. Indian authorities accused him of terror offences, including links to an illegal organisation and involvement in targeted killings of religious and political figures. In some accounts, investigators alleged he handed £3,000 to the Khalistan Liberation Force to buy weapons. He denies all charges and has never been convicted. His supporters say he was coerced into signing a false confession. Indian authorities have denied allegations of torture and say due process has been followed.

The case has drawn international attention. A UN panel recognised his detention as arbitrary in 2022. More recently, UN legal experts called on India to drop all charges, describing his detention as a profound miscarriage of justice. More than 100 cross-party MPs signed a letter to then Foreign Secretary David Lammy calling for quick and decisive action to bring him home. Scotland's First Minister John Swinney welcomed the bail decision and said he hoped Johal and his family would be reunited soon.

In March 2025, Johal was acquitted on all charges in one case. The judge said the prosecution had failed to provide credible evidence. He still faces charges in eight other cases. His legal team describes those as duplicate cases following the same allegation pattern and says they could drag on for years. The Delhi High Court granted bail, but his legal team warns he is not a free man and still faces the death penalty.

Under the bail conditions, Johal must remain in India, pay a bond of nearly £4,000, surrender his passport and refrain from making public statements about the case. He was granted bail on 18 September, but a legal notice from India's Home Ministry meant he could not leave prison until the day he was freed. His lawyers say prison officials sought clarification from the government of India and refused to release him. After a legal challenge, the High Court ordered the prison authorities to release him or be found in contempt of court. His brother said it took 13 days after bail for him to be released and that he had been legally detained for the last four days.

Johal walked out of prison to an emotional reunion with his parents-in-law, aunt and uncle. His brother said the family had waited a long time for the moment. He described his wife crying and said his children were excited that their uncle would be coming home at some point. The family said they can now call him and he can call them, but they want him back in the UK. His brother criticised the UK government, saying it had failed Johal over nine years and that the family would keep campaigning until he returns home. A legal representative said the bail order must be fully implemented and urged the Foreign Office to negotiate his return to the UK.

The UK Foreign Office said it was in touch with the family and continued to raise concerns about Johal's prolonged detention with the Indian government, adding that faster progress was needed. Indian authorities have repeatedly said due process is being followed and that it is for the courts, not any government, to decide the outcome of the case.