"a massive step forward to get him released"
Jagtar Singh Johal has been acquitted in one of the nine cases against him in an Indian court.
The Scottish man from Dumbarton faces several terror charges in connection with political violence in the north of India but has never been convicted.
On March 4, 2025, he had his 151st trial hearing in the District Court in Moga, Punjab.
Jagtar was acquitted of conspiracy under the country’s anti-terror law and of being a member of a “terrorist gang” due to a lack of evidence.
The remaining cases are linked and are expected to be dropped after a court application.
Jagtar Singh Johal was arrested in Punjab in November 2017, just weeks after his wedding there.
He was accused of travelling to Paris in 2013 to give £3,000 to a co-conspirator, knowing that the money would be used to fund several attacks against Hindu nationalists and other religious leaders in Punjab.
While detained in India, authorities have tortured Jagtar and threatened to burn him alive.
He was also forced to write a false confession despite there being no evidence against him.
Reacting to the news of the first acquittal, Dabinderjit Singh OBE, the Sikh Federation UK’s Lead Executive for Political Engagement, said:
“Jagtar’s acquittal today due to a lack of credible evidence is a massive step forward to get him released and back home to the UK to be reunited with his family.
“It opens up the way for all the other charges against him to be dropped.
“This should now be a formality and must happen as soon as possible as Jagtar has already lost 7 years of his life.
“The UK Government need to keep up pressure and prepare to get him home quickly so he can be with his family and begin to enjoy married life.
“Today’s decision is a vindication for all those that have campaigned tirelessly for his release and return as they knew he was innocent and being arbitrarily detained in an Indian jail.”
His brother Gurpreet Johal added: “Jagtar has not been able to hug his wife for seven years.
“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?”
To continue the pressure on the UK Government to stand up for British citizens arbitrarily detained in India, Sikh Federation UK started a Parliamentary e-petition in December titled: Secure the release and return of British nationals arbitrarily detained in India.
Constituents for over 500 MPs have signed the e-petition.
Thirteen MPs have had over 100 constituents sign the e-petition and the federation has written to them to take specific actions.
Sikh Federation UK has also written to every Labour MP on January 15 and February 25 to ensure the UK Government keep up diplomatic pressure to secure Jagtar Singh Johal’s release and safe return to the UK.
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