Lord Cameron can help save life of Scot detained in India, say his family

The family of a Scottish man detained in India for six years has said his life depends on the intervention of Lord Cameron, the new Foreign Secretary.

Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist, faces terror charges in connection with political violence in the north of the country.

His brother has written to Lord Cameron and asked him to meet the family to press for Mr Johal’s release.

The Government said it was committed to seeing the case resolved.

Mr Johal, from Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, was arrested in India in November 2017, weeks after his wedding there.

He claims he was tortured in the early days of his detention – an allegation the Indian authorities strongly deny.

Lord Cameron is the sixth Foreign Secretary to hold the brief since his arrest.

Speaking to BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland, Gurpreet Singh Johal said: “From day one it’s been difficult. It’s 2,208 days since my brother has been arbitrarily detained in an Indian jail and this government has failed.”

 ‘As well as he can be’

He said he last spoke to his brother from prison on Oct 18 when he seemed to be trying to “put light at the end of the tunnel”.

He added: “He was as well as he can be. He’s hopeful that in the next six months or so he can at least be out on bail, but that’s as much as I know.

“My brother’s life depends on what David Cameron decides to do and whether he decides to call for Jagtar’s release to bring him back home.”

‘I will keep fighting’

In his letter to Lord Cameron, Mr Johal, who is a Labour councillor, wrote: “It is extremely distressing to build up to meeting face to face with the foreign secretary, only for them to move on to a new job a few months later.

“Each time a new foreign secretary has been appointed, I have had to start all over again. It is exhausting, but I will keep fighting to bring my brother home.”

He ends the letter by saying he believed Lord Cameron, who was prime minister from 2010 to 2016, would be able to “leverage the strength of Britain’s long-standing relationship with India” and his “personal relationship with its leaders” to seek his brother’s release.

Mr Johal’s trial for the eight most serious cases against him started in 2022 but he has not been convicted of any crime.

In May last year a UN panel of human rights experts found his detention was arbitrary – in other words lacked legal basis – and he should be released.

The Indian authorities have always maintained that due process is being followed in the case.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “The UK Government is committed to seeing Jagtar Singh Johal’s case resolved as soon as possible. We continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Johal and his family and have consistently raised his case directly with the government of India.”