British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, who has spent nearly seven years in an Indian jail, has been placed in solitary confinement under 24-hour surveillance—despite being acquitted of all terrorism charges by a Punjab court on 4 March, his family claims. The latest development has intensified scrutiny of Jagtar Singh Johal’s arbitrary detention, which rights groups say violates international legal norms.
Johal Facing Identical Charges in Duplicate Case
According to his brother Gurpreet Singh Johal, Jagtar now faces the same charges in a parallel case, raising concerns over double jeopardy—the legal principle that protects individuals from being tried twice for the same offence. Testifying before a UK all-party parliamentary group on arbitrary detention, Gurpreet criticised the lack of political urgency from the British government and said bail had not been granted despite a lack of evidence or witnesses in the original case.
UK Foreign Office Aware but Action Lags
UK consular staff reportedly visited Jagtar earlier this week and confirmed he had been placed in solitary confinement with a 24-hour guard, with no explanation offered. “He is being mentally tortured. The aim is to break him,” Gurpreet said, warning of a worsening situation. He urged the UK Foreign Office to take firmer diplomatic steps, arguing that his brother is being detained without the intent of a fair trial.
Gurpreet added that UK officials, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, must understand the legal implications of double jeopardy. “The current prime minister is an ex-prosecutor, the current foreign secretary is an ex-lawyer… they should know what this means,” he said.
Human Rights Groups Call for Immediate Action
Dan Dolan, deputy executive director of human rights group Reprieve, reiterated that international law and India’s constitution prohibit double jeopardy. Reprieve claims the eight additional cases filed against Johal by India’s National Investigation Agency are nearly identical, relying on confessions allegedly extracted under torture.
The Indian government has denied any allegations of torture. It claims that Johal transferred money to co-conspirators involved in attacks in Punjab between 2016 and 2017, though he is not accused of directly participating in any violence.
Time Running Out for Political Intervention
Gurpreet stressed that a critical window for action emerged following the acquittal, but progress has stalled. Although David Lammy met with Gurpreet in November 2024, the next meeting is scheduled seven weeks from now—an unacceptable delay, according to the family. “This is urgent. The window is narrow. He must act now,” Gurpreet said.
