UK to raise concerns over Jagtar Singh Johal’s illegal detention with Indian authorities

LONDON, UK—The UK government is going to raise concerns over illegal detention of Scottish Sikh youth Jagtar Singh Johal  (nicknamed Jaggi) by Punjab police with the Indian government in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) due for next month. The fact has been confirmed by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office in reply to queries moved by British Sikh MPs Preet Kaur Gill and S. Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi along with Jaggi’s area Parliamentarian Docherty Hughes.  

It is pertinent to note here that 30 years old Jagtar Singh Johal is being held in Maximum Security Jail of Nabha by the Punjab police in relation to serial murders occurred in Punjab during last few years.

Replying to the queries about raising Jagtar Singh Johal’s issue with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the UK government, the Minister of state in charge of Asia and the Pacific in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Mr. Mark Field said that he would try to raise this case at senior levels with Indian authorities. He further said that the UK government had handled nearly 5,000 detentions involving British nationals abroad in the last year alone with comprehensive & responsive consular service.

Gill, as chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs, had organized the debate in order to raise Johal’s case. She laid out the background to the case since Johal was arrested in Punjab in November last year, claiming that he had faced severe torture while in custody. “Indian authorities have prevented Jagtar having private access to British consular staff,” she said, adding that his case has become a “farcical trial by media”.

Dhesi added, “It is incumbent on all of us to stand for the human rights of all British citizens. The UK government’s failure to condemn the series of abuses (against Johal) has left all British citizens travelling abroad vulnerable.” During the debate it also emerged that Johal’s local area MP had spoken to the British High Commissioner to India, Dominic Asquith, and received an update on the case this week.