Johal’s case being pursued: UK PM

London, March 13

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday said the case of a British Sikh murder suspect lodged in an Indian jail for over a year was being “actively” dealt with by ministers.

Jagtar Singh Johal from Dumbarton in Scotland was arrested by the Indian authorities in November 2017, on charges of fanning communal disturbance in Punjab.

His constituency’s MP, Scottish National Party’s (SNP) Martin Docherty-Hughes, has been lobbying for his release along with his family members and raised the issue in the House of Commons during the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions.

“On Monday, my constituent Jagtar Singh Johal would have been incarcerated for 500 days without trial. He would have suffered trial by media, sanctioned, some would say, by the Indian state,” Docherty-Hughes said, calling on May to direct her foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt to take up the case with the Indian government.

“Ministers are dealing with this. They have been actively involved in this case,” May said. “One of the ministers is actually dealing with this case and will I am sure will be pleased to meet with him,” she said, in reference to the request for a ministerial meeting.

Johal, a 31-year-old Scottish-born Sikh, was in Jalandhar with his family for his wedding in October 2017, when he was arrested by police officials in the city. The Punjab government claimed he was among a group of suspects arrested in relation to the murder of Hindu leaders in the state. —PTI