Next Wednesday marks 2000 days since Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was locked up amid accusations he was involved in a political murder plot in Punjab, northern India. But with major delays in the time prosecutors take to investigate – and more than 200 witnesses to speak to – his family estimate the 36-year-old will be in his seventies before the case is resolved.
His brother Gurpreet Singh Johal said just one witness out of 200 has been questioned so far and hearings are only taking place one day every eight weeks. As there are eight charges, each witness must be cross-examined eight times which means the whole process could take up to 40 years under the current timescales.
Gurpreet said: “We never thought that we’d still be in this position 2000 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.
