Jagtar Singh Johal leaves Delhi prison after nearly nine years
British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal left a Delhi prison on bail after almost nine years in custody. The release implements an 18 September court order, but federal charges and restrictive bail conditions remain. His passport has been surrendered, so his family’s campaign now concerns bringing him home as well as the continuing proceedings.
Geopolitics··Night
The bail order reaches the prison gates
Jagtar Singh Johal, a British Sikh activist, has left a prison in Delhi, India, on bail after almost nine years in custody. His family and rights organisations confirmed the release. The Delhi High Court had granted bail on 18 September, but he remained behind bars until the order was implemented. The court warned that continuing to hold him despite its order would amount to contempt. His lawyers challenged the detention through a habeas corpus petition, a procedure questioning the legal authority to keep someone in custody.[1], [2]
Conditions keep him in India
Under the bail conditions, Johal surrendered his passport and must provide a 500,000-rupee bond with two sureties, report regularly to officials and notify changes of residence. Travel to Punjab, the northern Indian state where he was arrested, is prohibited. He is restricted from speaking to the media about the case. Federal charges remain pending despite his acquittal in a related Punjab case, so leaving prison does not allow him to return immediately to Britain.[1]
A long-running diplomatic concern
Johal was arrested in November 2017 while visiting India for his wedding. He denies the terrorism allegations and says he was tortured and forced to confess. Indian authorities have denied torture allegations and maintained that due process is being followed. Reprieve and Redress, the rights organisations supporting him, have criticised the prolonged detention; United Nations experts previously assessed it as arbitrary. His family welcomed the release and continues to seek his return home.[1]
