By admin 
A Scottish Sikh who has been detained in India for seven years, Jagtar Singh Johal, has been acquitted in one of the cases against him. However, he still faces eight other cases, which are described as “essentially duplicate”, with the most severe penalty being execution.
Johal, from Dumbarton, Scotland, was cleared of terrorism charges by a court in Punjab, where he was accused of funding a terrorist plot linked to a series of attacks in 2016-17.
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The court rejected these accusations, with human rights organization Reprieve stating that prosecutors failed to provide any credible evidence to prove that Johal transferred money to terrorists.
Torture and Forced Confession Allegations
The anti-death penalty charity has long argued that the cases against Johal are based on a forced confession, which he allegedly wrote under police torture. According to reports, Indian police electrocuted him and threatened to set him on fire to obtain the statement.
Family and Supporters React
Johal’s brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, welcomed the Punjabi court’s verdict, stating that it proved the charges were baseless and that the case had been exposed as a fabrication.
He said:
“Jagtar has not been able to hug his wife for seven years. He has been locked up in an Indian jail for something he didn’t do. I will only believe this nightmare is over when he’s back home with us, but today feels like a significant moment. Surely, the UK Government recognises that this injustice cannot continue?”
Johal’s MP, Douglas McAllister, also urged the UK Government to take action, stating:
“The Government must act now to secure Jagtar’s release. This is a unique opportunity to negotiate with Indian authorities and bring this young British man home to his family in Dumbarton.
Without decisive diplomatic action, he could be imprisoned for decades while these trials drag on, despite the lack of credible evidence against him.”
Calls for Justice
Dan Dolan, deputy executive director at Reprieve, condemned Johal’s continued imprisonment, saying:
“For Jagtar to remain imprisoned and facing a death sentence after this acquittal would be a mockery of justice.
The eight duplicate cases against him clearly violate the ‘double jeopardy’ principle, which protects individuals from being tried twice for the same crime. This principle is enshrined in both international law and India’s constitution.
The remaining cases against him should be dropped immediately, and Jagtar should be set free.”
Gill Bikram Singh