The imprisonment of Jagtar Singh Johal

Timeline

Jagtar Singh Johal is a British citizen of the Sikh faith, from Dumbarton in Scotland. This timeline details his arrest and the subsequent developments in the case.

• 4 November 2017: Mr Johal is arrested by 15 men in Rama Mandi, Jalandhar. His lawyer claims that Mr Johal was then subjected to “physical torture”. He alleges that he was made to sign blank documents and film video confessions. Mr Johal is allegedly not allowed access to legal counsel, family members or British High Council representatives until 14 November 2017.
• 5 November 2017: Mr Johal appears before a duty magistrate in Bagha Purana.
• 14 November 2017: Mr Johal is permitted access to legal counsel. His lawyer files a request for an independent medical examination. The Government of India have stated that Mr Johal was regularly examined by medical professionals.
• 7 December 2017: local news organisations air footage of Mr Johal’s alleged confession.
• May 2019: the Punjab Police and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) file charge sheets in the ten cases against Mr Johal. He is transferred to Tihar prison on 25 May 2019.
• July 2019: charges are dropped against Mr Johal in one of the cases against him.
• 7 January 2021: Mr Johal is arrested in a new case by the Delhi Police.
• 4 May 2022: the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s Opinion on Mr Johal’s case is released. The Opinion states that Mr Johal has been arbitrarily detained and should be immediately released.
• 22 August 2022: it is alleged that MI5 and MI6 transferred information to Indian authorities that led to Mr Johal’s arrest. Mr Johal begins legal action against the UK Government.

Mr Johal has yet to face trial.

Government positions

The Government of India denies the allegations of physical and mental torture as “baseless and false”. 

On 10 January 2023, the UK Government 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.”