UK – Independent, Oct. 07, 2025
Sikh activist was detained and imprisoned by Indian authorities in 2017
Prime minister Keir Starmer has been urged to call for the release of jailed Briton Jagtar Singh Johal during his visit to India this week.
Sir Keir is travelling to India on Tuesday where he will meet with his counterpart Narendra Modi and promote the recently signed trade deal with the South Asian nation said to be worth £4.8bn each year to the British economy.
Mr Johal, a 38-year-old Dumbarton-based campaigner for Sikh rights, was detained in India’s northern Punjab state in 2017, just weeks after his wedding, over accusations of involvement with the banned Sikh separatist Khalistani Liberation Force.
He has denied any wrongdoing, and a UN panel has ruled that he was “arbitrarily detained” in May 2022.
Mr Johal’s family claims that he has been subjected to torture, including the administering of electric shocks, during his time in prison.
