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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Hannah Rodger

Dumbarton man languishing in Indian jail could wait 40 years to learn his fate

A family of a Dumbarton man languishing in an Indian prison for almost 2,000 days say it could be 40 years before he learns his fate.

Jagtar Singh Johal is behind bars in the north of the country amid claims he was involved in a political murder plot in Punjab.

The 36-year-old's brother Gurpreet Singh Johal says that just one of the 200 witnesses has been questioned to date, with hearings taking place only one day ever eight weeks, the Sunday Mail reports.

READ MORE: Resident 'bleeding profusely' after scratch attack by Lanarkshire care home worker

With eight charges and each witness to be cross-examined eight times, the current timescales could leave him stuck in jail for decades

Gurpreet explained: "We never thought that we'd still be in this position 2,000 days later when Jagtar was first arrested. We just want this over and for him to come home."

Jaggi was imprisoned in Punjab after travelling there from Scotland for his wedding in 2017 and is currently suffering in awful prison conditions in Delhi.

His family insist he was detained and tortured over his activism and campaigning for Sikh human rights. But Indian officials have accused him of being involved in a murder plot and charged him under the country's Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

His case was last year raised in Westminster but his family are urging them to do more. Gurpreet said: "If the Indians want they can make this case fast. It's within the constitution.

"If the UK Government pushed them on it then it could be done but that isn't happening."

Human rights organisation Reprieve has been working to campaign for his release. Director Maya Foa said "justice delayed is justice denied" and that Indian prosecutors "have made an art form of stringing cases out for decades by calling hundreds of witnesses and contriving endless delays".

She added: "As United Nations experts have made clear, the legal proceedings against Jagtar are anything but fair. He is arbitrarily detained with no end in sight.

"Boris Johnson acknowledged this when he was Prime Minister but we have seen some alarming backsliding from the current UK Government, including on Jagtar's torture."

She added: "The plain truth is that a blameless British citizen has been locked up in an Indian jail for five years and counting, and he will only be released when the UK Government intervenes decisively to bring him home."

SNP MP Martin Docherty-Hughes, who is Jaggi's MP, said the UK Government's pursuit of a trade deal with India must be stopped until Jaggi is freed.

He also called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to accept there was no credible reason for Jaggi's detention, which he has refused to state despite it being accepted by his predecessor Boris Johnson.

He said: "The UK Government has massive questions to answer on why it appears to be going soft on the case. Their recent court submissions, stating that they didn't believe Jagtar to have been tortured, was a slap in the face for his family.

"Tory Ministers continue to negotiate a free trade deal while my constituent languishes in prison. Continuing these negotiations while Jagtar's human rights continue to be violated is unforgivable."

The Foreign Office did not respond to requests for comment about Jaggi's case.

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