A British Sikh activist remains in solitary confinement in an Indian prison, despite being cleared of terrorism charges by a Punjab court last month, reported The Guardian.
Jagtar Singh Johal's family said that he is under constant surveillance, with no access to other prisoners, and fear for his mental and physical health.
Johal has been in jail for seven years, and although acquitted on 4 March, he still faces identical charges in another case. His brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, called this a clear case of double jeopardy, highlighting that no credible evidence or witnesses were presented in the Punjab trial.
He testified before a UK parliamentary committee on arbitrary detention, stressing that his brother's continued imprisonment amounts to mental torture.
UK consular staff visited Johal in prison and confirmed he had been placed in isolation under 24-hour watch. No explanation was given for this treatment.
Gurpreet expressed deep concern, saying that his brother was being punished further despite his acquittal. "They are trying to break him," he said, warning that urgent action is needed.
He also criticised the UK government for lacking political will, arguing that diplomatic efforts have not been strong enough to pressure India for his brother’s release. While prime minister Rishi Sunak reportedly raised the issue with Indian officials, Gurpreet questioned how seriously it was being discussed.
Legal experts have also weighed in on Johal’s case. Dan Dolan from Reprieve, a legal advocacy group, pointed out that double jeopardy laws prevent someone from being tried twice for the same crime and are recognised under both international law and India’s own constitution. Reprieve claims that the multiple cases filed against Johal are duplicates, based on confessions allegedly obtained through torture.
India denies using torture and maintains that Johal transferred funds to people linked to attacks in Punjab between 2016 and 2017. However, they do not allege that he directly participated in any attacks.
Foreign secretary David Lammy previously met with Gurpreet in November and has agreed to meet again, but only in seven weeks.
Gurpreet, however, insisted that the situation is urgent and needs immediate attention to prevent further harm to his brother.
Anjana Vasan
Romesh Ranganathan
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