MORE than 100 MPs and peers have called on the UK Government to make “all diplomatic efforts” to secure the urgent release of a Scot who has been imprisoned in India without trial for more than seven years.
The group of 117 parliamentarians have written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, stressing “the time has now come to act quickly” to bring Jagtar Singh Johal home to his family in West Dunbartonshire.
Jagtar, or Jaggi, is being held in solitary confinement in a prison in India on terrorism charges, despite being cleared in one of the cases against him by a court in Punjab at the beginning of March.
He still faces eight “duplicate” cases against him based on what his supporters say are politically motivated allegations that he funded a terrorist plot which resulted in a series of attacks in northwest India from 2016 to 2017.
On Thursday, supporters said India’s Supreme Court failed to issue a ruling on a petition for bail.
Lammy has agreed to meet Johal’s brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, for a second time, on May 8. At the first meeting, Gurpreet warned that the UK Government would be held responsible “if anything untoward were to happen” to Jagtar.
Ahead of the meeting next week, the cross-party group of MPs and peers said it was vital the UK Government acted promptly.
The letter, spearheaded by Jagtar's local MP Douglas McAllister, was signed by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and senior Tory MP David Davis, and urged the Foreign Secretary to intervene.
“The UK Government, following Jagtar’s acquittal, should be using all diplomatic efforts at this critical stage to ensure Jagtar Singh Johal is released on bail as soon as possible, pending the discontinuation of the other outstanding cases,” the letter said.
“The time has now come to act quickly and decisively. With the acquittal, we now have an opportunity to hold urgent diplomatic discussions with your Indian counterparts.
“Taking urgent steps now during this window of opportunity will reassure all those lobbying us on Jagtar’s behalf that we are doing all we can to secure his immediate release and return to the UK, and therefore reunited with his family as soon as possible.”
McAllister added: “The failure to grant bail to my constituent, Jagtar Singh Johal, serves to demonstrate the need for greater urgency by the Foreign Secretary and the UK Government to secure my constituent’s immediate release and his return to his family in West Dunbartonshire.
“I will be advising the Foreign Secretary when we meet next week of the strength of feeling across both houses that now is the time to act.”
Speaking ahead of his second meeting with Lammy, Gurpreet (above) said: “I’m glad the Foreign Secretary is meeting me again, as it shows he recognises that this is a make-or-break moment for Jagtar.
“The case against my brother has been tested in court and rejected, but the Indian authorities will keep him in prison for decades if the UK Government doesn’t act to secure his release.
“We’ve seen that today at the Supreme Court – just the latest in an endless series of delays. This is the moment of truth for David Lammy: will he live up to his promises, or will he fail Jagtar like the last six foreign secretaries did?”
The Foreign Office was contacted for comment.
