Scottish man detained over alleged terrorism offences granted bail after nine years in Indian jail, family says
Jagtar Singh Johal was arrested in India in 2017.
A Scot man who has been detained in India for nearly nine years without conviction has been granted bail, his family has said.
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Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was arrested by Indian authorities in 2017 over alleged terrorism offences, just weeks after his wedding.
The 39-year-old’s brother Gurpreet announced on Friday that Delhi High Court has overturned a previous decision in 2024 and granted him bail.
He said: “Jaggi will be released from prison after completing the relevant paperwork. Time to bring him home.”
Gurpreet said his brother could be released as early as next week after bail was granted for seven cases.
“This is a really, really important milestone for Jagtar’s campaign,” he said.
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He was acquitted last year in a case in which he was accused of financially supporting a terror group but he still faces federal charges in the country related to the same allegations.
A group of UN experts said his imprisonment is an example of arbitrary detention, where a person is jailed without a legal basis, and said he has endured “a form of psychological torture”.
The latest develpment comes after challenged prosecutors in the eight remaining cases against him.
Mr Johal was said to have previously told the Foreign Secretary in a message: “I’m stuck in a broken country with a broken judicial system.”
Yvette Cooper has urged a “swift resolution” in the case, saying the ordeal had “gone on far too long” after meeting Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and her counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Indian authorities have previously denied the torture claim and have repeatedly maintained due process is being followed.
Mr Johal’s family has been supported in its campaign to secure his release by the campaign group, Reprieve, which has repeatedly argued that the Indian authorities have no case against him.
Dan Dolan, deputy executive director of the legal charity weclomed the latest judgement but warned over the need to “watch closely” to ensure the order is not “obstructed.”