India releases UK Sikh blogger on bail after nearly nine-year detention

NEW DELHI: India released on bail Thursday a British Sikh blogger detained since November 2017 over an alleged plot to kill right-wing Hindu leaders, an AFP journalist saw.

Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton in Scotland, was acquitted of one terrorism-linked charge in March 2025. With his trial still ongoing, a court granted him bail this month on eight remaining charges, which include conspiracy to murder.

Johal, who was detained nearly nine years ago while in India for his wedding, walked out of Tihar jail in New Delhi on Thursday, according to an AFP journalist at the scene, and was greeted by family members with bouquets of flowers.

His brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, said in a statement shared by British charity Reprieve, that “there have been so many setbacks and disappointments in the last nine years that I didn’t dare to believe it until I saw Jagtar walking out of the prison gates with my own eyes”.

“The fight continues, because he’s still on trial and facing the death penalty for something he didn’t do… We’ll keep on fighting until he’s home with us.”

Several bail conditions have been attached to his release including a bond of 500,000 rupees ($5,218) and the surrender of his passport.

He has also been barred from making any statements about the case to the press.

British lawmaker Douglas McAllister, representing Johal’s council area in Scotland, had welcomed the news of his bail last week and said it was time to bring his constituent “back home”.

Independent UN experts warned in April that Johal’s prolonged detention amounted to “psychological torture”, including allegations of electrocution and death threats.