KEIR Starmer must make securing the release of a Scottish man languishing in an Indian prison on “political charges” a priority, according to 15 of his MPs.
The family and supporters of Dumbarton man Jagtar Singh Johal have this week marked the seventh anniversary of his arrest in India.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the group urged: “On the seventh anniversary of his arrest and detention we urge you to send a message about the priority that your Government places on protecting its citizens from abuse abroad.
“We ask you to make securing Jagtar's release a priority, and ensure your Government does whatever it takes so bring him home to his family in Dumbarton.”
Jagtar, a Sikh who is also known as Jaggi, was an active critic of the hardline Hindu nationalist politics of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
He travelled to India to marry his wife in October 2017 and was arrested the following month.
The Indian authorities have maintained he was involved in the murders of a far-right Hindu politician and a Hindu leader as well as other alleged “terrorism” offences.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom believes that Jagtar (below) was imprisoned for his religious and political beliefs and his criticism of the Indian government.
The letter, signed by Jagtar’s local MP Douglas MacAllister, noted that the United Nations’ working group on arbitrary detention has said his “fair trial rights have been violated” and both the UN group and the US Government believe he has been subjected to torture to elicit a false confession.
The MPs noted that Jagtar was born in the Queen Mother’s Hospital in Yorkhill, Glasgow and that he grew up in nearby Finnieston.
He went to secondary school in Dumbarton and worked in the family takeaway in Bearsden.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The Foreign Secretary met Mr Johal’s brother, Member of Parliament, and a representative from Reprieve on October 30, 2024.
"The UK Government is committed to working for faster progress on Jagtar’s case, and [Foreign Office] consular staff continue to support Mr Johal and his family."
