Who is Jagtar Singh Johal, British activist acquitted in terror funding case in India?

Arrested in 2017, the alleged pro-Khalistani was acquitted in one of his nine cases.

Jagtar Singh Johal, a British national, was acquitted by a Punjab Court on Tuesday in an alleged terror funding case registered by Punjab Police in 2016.

But who is exactly is he and why was he arrested in the first place? Here's all you need to know, as reported by the BBC:

Who is Jagtar Singh Johal

Jagtar Singh Johal is a 38-year-old Scottish-born Sikh from Dumbarton, Scotland.

He was an active blogger and campaigner for Sikh human rights, which are said to have brought him to the attention of the Indian authorities.

Though a UK citizen, he is a native of Punjab’s Jalandhar, and came to India in 2017 for his wedding.

Why was he arrested?

Punjab police, dressed in plain clothes, arrested Johal in November 2017, by forcing him into an unmarked car.

He was then formally charged with conspiracy to commit murder and being a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF).

The KLF is known to have committed various attacks in Punjab.

Johal was accused of travelling to Paris in 2013 and delivered £3,000 (Rs 3.35 lakh) to other KLF figures. This money was allegedly then used in the attacks and murders on Hindu nationalists and other religious leaders across 2016 and 2017.

He was also accused of conspiring to murder Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leader Ravinder Gosain.

According to documents BBC received from human rights group Reprieve , the arrest was a result of a tip-off by UK's MI5 and MI6 agencies.

Allegations of torture and false confessions

In 2021, BBC reported that through his lawyer, Johal claimed to be tortured and forced to sign a blank confession.

"They made me sign blank pieces of paper and asked me to say certain lines in front of a camera under fear of extreme torture," he told BBC via his lawyer.

"Multiple shocks were administered by placing (the) crocodile clips on my earlobes, nipples and private parts," the letter alleged. "Multiple shocks were given each day.

"Two people would stretch my legs, another person would slap and strike me from behind, and the shocks were given by the seated officers."

"At some stages I was left unable to walk and had to be carried out of the interrogation room."

Johal had also claimed that police threatened to shoot him and set him alight with petrol, according to the British media reports.

Refuting the claims, the Indian High Commission in London in a statement said, “Jagtar Singh Johal has been arrested on serious charges relating to terrorism. It is untrue that he is being held without any charges. The prosecuting agency, NIA (National Investigation Agency), has already filed chargesheet in the court of law and he is presently undergoing judicial proceedings as per the law of the land.”

“It's absolutely untrue that he has been subjected to torture. He has been granted consular access several times to the UK High Commission in New Delhi. Further, institutional safeguards like the Human Rights Commission exist to investigate any such allegation,” it said.

India, UK and Johal

Since his arrest, various UK ministers and prime ministers have raised the issue to India, and various discussions have taken place.

India has been maintaining that Johal, a citizen of the UK, has become a rallying point for Sikh groups in Britain. There was also a debate in the UK Parliament on Johal's issue and providing the consular access to him.

Since Johal's arrest, a false, slanderous and orchestrated media campaign has been initiated by militants and their sympathisers as well as radical elements based in Britain and other Western countries against the Punjab government and the Punjab Police, an Indian official said.

There were instances when Punjab Police officers received death threats targeted at them and their family members from such elements over phone, WhatsApp and various social media platforms, the official added.

During his meeting with his UK counterpart in 2018, NSA Ajit Doval had even suggested that one can approach the National Human Rights Commission, which is an independent body with investigative and judicial powers, to look into allegations of mistreatment.

Why was Johal acquitted and what now?

The Punjab court which acquitted Johal in the alleged terror funding case, stated that "prosecution has failed to prove its case against all accused beyond shadow of reasonable doubt,” according to a report by the Indian Express.

“The prosecution has failed to prove its case against all the accused beyond shadow of reasonable doubt under Sections 17,18,19,20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and 120-B,419, 420,467,468,471 IPC. It is settled law that benefit of doubt always goes to the accused,” ordered the court.

While he was acquitted in this case, Johal still faces at least 8 other cases.

His brother Gurpreet Singh Johal told BBC Scotland News "My brother has had seven years of his life wasted in jail. The UK government needs to bring him home.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is now getting brighter," he added.

(With PTI inputs)