 | This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: What happened to the court case or investigations?.(May 2021) |
The arrest of Jagtar Singh Johal is a detainment that occurred in November 2017 in Punjab, India. According to the human rights organisation Reprieve, UK spy agencies tipped off their Indian counterparts about a key man, "Johal", who was currently in India. [1]
Jagtar Singh Johal was arrested in India in 2017. According to the United Nation's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Johal has been detained "arbitrarily" and should be released immediately. Following their investigations, the UN group concluded that Johal's detention without trial was "on discriminatory grounds, owing to his status as a human rights defender and based on his political activism, religious faith and opinions," something Johal's family have asserted since he was first arrested in 2017. [2] Jagtar Singh Johal told the BBC that he had been tortured and forced to sign false confessions, although the BCC could not verify the allegations of torture. The Indian government denied any mistreatment or torture in this case. [3] Jagtar Singh Johal is accused for the involvement in the murders of Brigadier (retd) Jagdish Gagneja, RSS leader Ravinder Gosain and Pastor Sultan Masih [4] and for funding of the terrorist organization Khalistan Liberation Force in November 2017, for which there is no judicially admissible evidence against him, despite intelligence agencies having over three years to investigate. [5] Johal has not been brought to trial.
Johal is currently being held at Tihar jail and has yet to face trial despite being in Indian custody since 2017. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
The Indian authorities have not yet provided Johal's lawyer with evidence linking him to any crimes, thereby making it impossible for Johal to be brought to trial. Johal's lawyer alleges there is no such evidence, implying that the Indian authorities are deliberately and illegally detaining Johal. While in custody, Johal was also charged with another crime. [13]
His family allege that he was falsely detained and forced to sign blank statements and face torture in prison. [14] Police have denied these claims and termed them "emotional drama", noting that anyone suffering the extent of torture alleged by Johal would have succumbed to his wounds. [15] [14] [8] International and Sikh human rights groups in Punjab and the diaspora, as well as over 140 UK Members of Parliament (MPs), including the former Brexit secretary David Davis; the former international development secretary Hilary Benn; the father of the house, Sir Peter Bottomley; the SNP leader at Westminster, Ian Blackford; Sheffield's mayor, Dan Jarvis; the former Foreign Office minister Lord Hain; the former Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell; and Andrew Rosindell, a Conservative member of the foreign affairs select committee have written to Dominic Raab urging him to do more to secure the release of Johal. They are concerned over Johal's detention and allegations of brutal treatment towards Johal - the Indian police have been accused of torturing him whilst in custody. [16] [14] The Indian government has cited significant Khalistani outreach towards Indian-origin British MPs for their support towards Johal and insisted that their opposition is based on appeasing sentiments of large voting blocs.
Johal's case had now been forwarded to the UN's Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment for further investigation. A UK government spokesperson said: "We have consistently raised our concerns about Mr Johal's case with the government of India, including his allegations of torture and mistreatment and his right to a fair trial. [17]
Jagtar Singh Johal was an accused in 11 cases out of which he has been discharged in 1 case and has been granted bail in 3 other cases. One of his bail applications (RC No. 24/2017/NIA/DLI - Attempt of Killing) was initially denied by an NIA Special Judge, but this order was reversed on appeal by the High Court of Haryana and Punjab. [18] [19] That decision of the High Court was appealed by the NIA, but the High Court's judgement was upheld by the Supreme Court of India, quashing the order denying bail on that charge. [20] [21] Although Johal is now eligible for bail on that case, his full release is still reportedly precluded by charges in other cases. [22]
On 22 August 2022, it was reported by The Times that MI5 and MI6 staff supplied information that led to the alleged torture of a British citizen in India, apparently in breach of Britain's commitment to human rights. [23]
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Babbar Khalsa also known as Babbar Khalsa International, is a Khalistani militant organisation that aims to create an independent nation-state of Khalistan in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. It has used armed attacks, assassinations and bombings in aid of that goal, and is deemed to be a terrorist entity by various governments. Besides India, it operates in North America and Europe.
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Beant Singh was an Indian politician and the 12th Chief Minister of Punjab from 1992 until his assassination by suicide bombing. He was a member of Indian National Congress.
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The Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is a Khalistani militant organisation operating in the Punjab state of India, with prominent members based in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a sovereign Sikh nation‐state of Khalistan through armed struggle. It is responsible for numerous assassinations, abductions, and military engagements with the Indian Armed Forces during the Insurgency in Punjab. The KLF is also listed as a designated terrorist group by India.
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Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala was a Sikh militant and the third Jathedar of the Khalistan Liberation Force. Budhsinghwala's organization, KLF, was one of the most active and main Sikh militant groups during the insurgency in Punjab, India. Budhsinghwala had KLF join the Sohan Singh Panthic Committee and partnered with Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar), Babbar Khalsa, Bhindranwale Tiger Force (Sangha), and Sikh Student Federation (Bittu) in militant actions.
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