Jagtar Singh Johal, a British Sikh activist, was released from a Delhi correctional facility after the Indian high court threatened contempt of court proceedings against the government for failing to comply with a bail order issued on 18 September. Johal had been held in custody for nine years without completing a full trial on allegations related to terrorism offences.
The release came after Johal’s legal representatives filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf, documenting that prison communications requesting permission for his release from the Ministry of Home Affairs had gone unanswered despite meeting all bail conditions. On Thursday morning, the high court issued a directive requiring his release by 2.30pm Indian time or face contempt charges. Johal was ultimately released in the late afternoon.
Johal has faced eight charges in federal court stemming from allegations that he transported funds to support an extremist organization involved in killings in Punjab in 2016-17. However, he was previously cleared of similar charges in a Punjab court proceeding. The case has become a source of diplomatic tension between the UK and India, with human rights organizations contending that insufficient progress has been made toward either his release or a fair trial. Johal has maintained that any initial confessions were obtained through coercion.
The high court imposed 11 bail conditions, including passport surrender, a financial bond, fortnightly reporting requirements, travel restrictions to Punjab, and media contact restrictions. Johal continues to face charges carrying a potential death sentence. Human rights groups and the UK Foreign Office have supported calls for his release, though advocacy organizations have criticized what they characterize as insufficient government intervention to address his prolonged detention.
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