UK in touch with family after Delhi court grants bail to Jagtar Singh Johal

The British High Commission in New Delhi has said it is in contact with the family of UK national Jagtar Singh Johal after the Delhi High Court granted him bail on Friday, following almost nine years in custody on terror-related charges.

A spokesperson said: “We are in touch with Mr Johal’s family following Friday's developments. The UK continues to raise concerns about Mr Johal’s prolonged detention at every appropriate opportunity with the Government of India. We have made clear that faster progress is needed to reach a resolution, including a full investigation into Mr Johal’s allegations of torture.”

The comments followed a roughly 30-page order by a division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja, which granted bail to Johal in seven cases investigated by India’s National Investigation Agency under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and related charges. He was arrested in Punjab in November 2017, and has been accused of a role in targeted killings linked by prosecutors to the Khalistan Liberation Force. He has denied the allegations. A Punjab court acquitted him in one related case in March 2025.

Johal must post a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh with two sureties of the same amount, surrender his passport, use only one phone or landline that remains switched on, and report regularly to investigators, including once a fortnight. He must give his address and contact details, not change them without notice, appear in court, avoid contact with witnesses, and not circulate material the court described as anti-national.

The case has been a persistent issue in UK-India relations and has been raised repeatedly in the British Parliament & British govt. Indian authorities have denied torture claims and said due process is being followed.