LONDON/NEW DELHI: British Sikh national Jagtar Singh Johal, popularly known as Jaggi Johal, has been granted bail by the Delhi High Court after spending almost nine years in Indian custody without a conviction. The development has been described by his family and supporters as a major milestone in a long-running campaign for his release.Johal was arrested in Punjab in 2017, shortly after his wedding. Indian authorities have accused him of involvement in a series of targeted killings and an alleged conspiracy linked to the Khalistan Liberation Force. Johal has denied the allegations.The Delhi High Court’s latest decision relates to seven cases being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). A Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja granted bail on September 18, 2026. A detailed written order is awaited.The development follows a significant legal turn earlier this year. The Supreme Court had directed the High Court in July 2026 to reconsider Johal’s bail appeals after previous bail rejections. The High Court had rejected his pleas in September 2024.
PREET KAUR GILL WELCOMES THE DEVELOPMENT
The bail decision also carries particular significance in Britain because Johal’s case has been followed closely by British MPs and his family.Preet Kaur Gill MP, who has been among the British political voices raising concerns about Johal’s prolonged detention, welcomed the development. Her response comes after years of campaigning by Johal’s brother Gurpreet Singh Johal, British politicians and campaigners seeking greater UK government intervention in the case.West Dunbartonshire MP Douglas McAllister, Johal’s constituency MP, also welcomed the news, calling it a breakthrough while stressing that the bail conditions and remaining legal proceedings still need to be resolved.For the Johal family, however, the development represents much more than another court hearing.His brother Gurpreet Singh Johal said the family had finally received relief after an extraordinarily difficult nine years and called for his brother to be brought home to Scotland. According to reports, Johal could be released after the necessary paperwork and bail conditions are completed.
BAIL IS NOT ACQUITTAL
The legal distinction is important.The Delhi High Court’s decision does not amount to an acquittal. Johal still faces trial and must comply with the conditions imposed by the court. His lawyers have indicated that he will have to remain in India while the outstanding proceedings continue.At the same time, the decision marks a dramatic change after nearly nine years behind bars without a conviction.Johal was acquitted last year in a separate case in which he had been accused of financially supporting a terror organisation, although other federal cases remained pending.
NINE YEARS OF CONTROVERSY
Johal’s detention has generated sustained controversy in Britain and internationally.His family and campaigners have alleged that he was tortured during interrogation and that his detention was connected to his writings and activism concerning Sikh human rights. Indian authorities have denied torture allegations and have maintained that due process is being followed.UN experts have previously raised concerns about Johal’s detention, with a UN panel having described it as arbitrary detention in 2022.The case therefore remains politically and legally sensitive, involving questions about terrorism allegations, prolonged pre-trial detention, the rights of foreign nationals and the responsibilities of governments toward their citizens detained overseas.
A MAJOR MOMENT FOR THE JOHAL FAMILY
For the family, the immediate priority is now clear: getting Jagtar Singh Johal out of prison and ultimately back to his family in Scotland.His brother’s message following the bail decision was direct: “Time to bring him home.”Preet Kaur Gill’s welcome for the decision is therefore part of a much larger story — one involving nine years of detention, a long-running UK parliamentary campaign, repeated court proceedings and a new legal opening for Johal.The bail order does not end the case, but after almost nine years, it creates the possibility of Johal facing the remaining proceedings outside prison while under court-imposed conditions.That is why today’s Delhi High Court decision is being viewed by his family and supporters as a major milestone in the Jaggi Johal campaign.