Scot detained in India at 'make-or-break' moment for UK Government to secure release
The brother of a Scot detained in India since 2017 has said now is the 'moment of truth' for the foreign secretary to push for his release.
Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, was arrested while in India for his wedding and has been held by authorities since, despite being acquitted of all charges in a case in the Punjab region of the country in March.
He still faces charges at a federal level, which his supporters – who claim an initial confession was as a result of torture – fear could take years to come to a conclusion.
On Thursday, supporters say, India's Supreme Court failed to issue a ruling on a petition for bail.
Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet Singh Johal will meet with David Lammy next week to discuss the case, as more than 100 MPs and peers signed a letter to the foreign secretary calling for 'all diplomatic efforts' to be used to ensure his return home.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Gurpreet said: 'I'm glad the foreign secretary is meeting me again, as it shows he recognises that this is a make-or-break moment for Jagtar.
'The case against my brother has been tested in court and rejected, but the Indian authorities will keep him in prison for decades if the UK Government doesn't act to secure his release.
'We've seen that today at the Supreme Court – just the latest in an endless series of delays. This is the moment of truth for David Lammy: will he live up to his promises, or will he fail Jagtar like the last six foreign secretaries did?'
The letter, spearheaded by Mr Johal's local MP Douglas McAllister, was signed by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and senior Tory MP David Davis, and urged the foreign secretary to intervene.
'The UK Government, following Jagtar's acquittal, should be using all diplomatic efforts at this critical stage to ensure Jagtar Singh Johal is released on bail as soon as possible, pending the discontinuation of the other outstanding cases,' the letter said.
'The time has now come to act quickly and decisively. With the acquittal, we now have an opportunity to hold urgent diplomatic discussions with your Indian counterparts.
'Taking urgent steps now during this window of opportunity will reassure all those lobbying us on Jagtar's behalf that we are doing all we can to secure his immediate release and return to the UK, and therefore reunited with his family as soon as possible.'
Mr McAllister added: 'The failure to grant bail to my constituent, Jagtar Singh Johal, serves to demonstrate the need for greater urgency by the foreign secretary and the UK Government to secure my constituent's immediate release and his return to his family in West Dunbartonshire.
'I will be advising the foreign secretary when we meet next week of the strength of feeling across both houses that now is the time to act.'
Mr Johal wrote about alleged human rights abuses of Sikhs by the Indian government while living in the UK and was accused of financially supporting terror attacks in Punjab, which he denies.
The Foreign Office have been contacted for comment.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
44 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Immigration warning over 'less than welcoming' statements
The tone of Sir Keir's remarks on May 12 was, as observed by Mr Sheerin and many others, surely something of a surprise. And it was unexpected even with an awareness - having covered this key issue closely over months and years - of Labour's developing and lamentable stance on immigration. The Prime Minister declared: 'Nations depend on rules – fair rules. Sometimes they're written down, often they're not, but either way, they give shape to our values. They guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to one another. Now, in a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that, these rules become even more important. Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.' The 'island of strangers' was a striking turn of phrase. Sir Keir went on: 'So when you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower-paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you're not championing growth, you're not championing justice, or however else people defend the status quo. You're actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart.' Maybe with the benefit of hindsight the Prime Minister's remarks, even though they could have been uttered just as easily by the Tory Brexiters, should not have been quite so much of a shock as they were. After all, Labour has embraced the key elements of the Conservatives' hard Brexit: loss of free movement of people between the UK and European Economic Area nations and the ending of the frictionless trade from which the country previously benefited enormously when it was part of the single market. Nevertheless, Sir Keir's tone was surely surprisingly dismal, even given all of this. Not only did we have the reference to 'an island of strangers' but also this declaration: 'This strategy will finally take back control of our borders and close the book on a squalid chapter for our politics, our economy, and our country.' What seemed clear from Sir Keir's utterings was that populism most certainly did not end with the exit of Boris Johnson or Rishi Sunak from the prime minister post. Sir Keir's tone contrasted so starkly with Mr Sheerin's reasoned appraisal of the Prime Minister's remarks and Labour's plans on immigration. We had this from Sir Keir: 'We do have to ask why parts of our economy seem almost addicted to importing cheap labour rather than investing in the skills of people who are here and want a good job in their community. Sectors like engineering, where visas have rocketed while apprenticeships have plummeted.' You would imagine Mr Sheerin, as a veteran of the engineering sector, knows a lot more about the specifics than Sir Keir. And it is worth observing the Scottish Engineering chief executive is passionate about people in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK being trained as engineers. He would love to see the skills shortages which are posing such a challenge to member companies of Scottish Engineering and others in the sector solved. Mr Sheerin is not a politician - just someone with deep knowledge of the Scottish engineering sector. So what did the Scottish Engineering chief have to say in his quarterly report published on Friday? Read more He declared that he found the UK Government's 'latest pronouncements on immigration disappointing', highlighting the detrimental impact on companies of 'statements that feel less than welcoming'. Mr Sheerin hammered home his view that raising minimum qualification levels from Higher equivalents to degree level would 'leave out the skilled trades and crafts roles where we are already in shortest supply: welders, fabricators, electricians, pipefitters, CNC (computer numerical control) machinists to name a few'. That is surely a crucial point. And it is worth emphasising Mr Sheerin's observation that people skilled in these roles are 'already in shortest supply'. Mr Sheerin also noted: 'The shortening of the graduate visa scheme reducing the right to work from two years to 18 months after graduating will not only hit our education sector but also reduce the attractiveness of the scheme for companies who will have a shorter timeline to decide whether to invest in the process to extend the visa of the employee.' This is another good point. And the Scottish Engineering chief executive declared: 'Whilst I recognise that this [immigration] is a contentious political issue across the UK for a whole range of reasons, in engineering and manufacturing in Scotland the reality is that immigration is a vital source of skills and experience that cannot be replaced overnight. These skills levels take years to build - and we should be building them - but closing off the supply before putting in place the actions to do that is another example of an action that will challenge the stated ambition of growing our economy.' The time horizon with regard to building skills levels is important. It might not chime with that of politicians such as Sir Keir, who seems at pains to bang the drum on immigration as Nigel Farage's Reform UK makes a big noise on this front. However, it is a simple factual point that engineering skills do take years to build. Mr Sheerin declared that a frustration for him in Labour's immigration pronouncements was that 'whereas there is considerable detail on how we plan to restrict and close this supply of skills, on the laudable stated aim that we will replace the loss with trained or upskilled UK-born workers, the detail is missing on how that will be achieved'. He added: 'And there is no detail that recognises that engineering skills take between four and six years to get to a starting level of competency. It does not seem an unreasonable request for the get-well plan to carry at least the same level of detail as the take-it-away plan.' This seems like an absolutely fair summation of the problems with Labour's populist immigration proposals. If you were asked to choose whether you think it is Sir Keir or Mr Sheerin who is on the money in relation to immigration policy and its effect on engineering and the broader economy, it would surely be the easiest of questions to answer, any day of the week.
The Herald Scotland
44 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Jim Sillars: John Swinney should resign as SNP leader
Polling suggested the SNP would win the crunch by-election but instead Labour took the seat pushing the SNP into second while Reform was placed third. The result prompted calls on Friday by SNP veteran Alex Neil for Mr Swinney's resignation as leader before the Scottish Parliament elections in 2026, when the SNP will have been in power for 19 years. Speaking to The Herald Mr Sillars echoed Mr Neil's views that Mr Swinney should quit though added he did not think a change of leadership would be sufficient to put the SNP on the front foot in time for the election next May saying better delivery on public services and a review of policy priorities was needed. "Look at yesterday's result," he said. READ MORE: SNP veteran calls for Swinney to quit after Labour shock by-election victory Sarwar: Swinney ran a 'disgraceful' campaign and is running down the clock as FM Rows with press, claims of racism and misinformation - a by-election that turned ugly "The SNP went down to 29%. If that was repeated in 2026 the SNP will have a disaster on their hands, they would get nowhere near the seats they need to get and therefore not be in government. "It is very difficult to see how they can reverse their position. They are also being judged by voters on the basis of their performance in government. "They have spent more time in Holyrood arguing about the identity of women than they have about the 85,000 children living in abject poverty. Former SNP deputy leader Jim Sillars (Image: PA) "It is not just a leadership replacement they would have to rethink their whole policy priorities. They have lost the people." He noted the difference in support for independence and for the SNP. "When you get polling showing that support for independence is around 50% but the so-called party of independence is getting 29% of the vote in a critical by-election then there is a real problem," he added. "I never thought John Swinney would make a good leader. I think he should go on the basis that he is a failure, though it doesn't mean that him going would really change things substantially." Along with Mr Neil, Mr Sillars is a longstanding critic of Mr Swinney and former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Both were supportive of the late former First Minister Alex Salmond when he fell out with Ms Sturgeon. Turning to the First Minister's message that the by-election was a straight contest between the SNP and Reform, Mr Sillars said: "He punted Reform instead of dealing with the real opposition which was Labour. Scottish Labour's victory rally in Hamilton on Friday (Image: Colin Mearns) "It showed a man with a lack of judgment and someone who could not read the street." Former SNP health secretary Mr Neil was the first senior party figure to call for a change of leadership following the SNP by-election defeat. In a post on X on Friday Alex Neil, who held Cabinet roles in the administrations of both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, said it was time for a new leadership. READ MORE: Keir Starmer: John Swinney hasn't raised independence referendum with me Swinney defends claims Labour 'out of it' in by-election Not a shot that's been fired across SNP's bows, it's a cruise missile "Poor by election result for the SNP despite having the best candidate," wrote the former Cabinet minister on X. "It shows that the opinion polls appear wide of the mark. Most importantly it shows the current SNP leadership needs to be replaced urgently." Mr Sarwar and his party celebrated in the early hours of Friday morning after Labour's Davy Russell was elected as the new MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, winning the seat from the SNP. With the votes showing a swing of more than 7% from the SNP to Labour, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Friday the result showed people have "voted for change". The by-election had been held following the death earlier this year of Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie. When the votes were counted, Mr Russell polled 8,559, SNP candidate Katy Loudon took 7,957 votes, while Reform's Ross Lambie secured 7,088. And although Mr Russell was elected with fewer votes than Labour secured in the seat in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP's support fell from just over 46% of all ballots then to 29.35% in the by-election. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice insisting they were "delighted" with coming third - despite speculation prior to the count that they could come in second or may even pull off a surprise victory. Speaking at a media event in Hamilton on Friday morning, Mr Sarwar accused the SNP leader of running a "disgraceful" campaign" and insisted the by-election could "help lead the way" to him becoming Scotland's next First Minister. Mr Swinney said the SNP was "clearly disappointed" with the result. The First Minister and party leader said Labour had "won by an absolute landslide" in Rutherglen and Hamilton West - noting the SNP "came much closer" this time round. But he added: "The people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have made clear that we still have work to do. "Over the next few days, we will take time to consider the result fully." The SNP was approached to seek comment on the interventions from Mr Sillars and Mr Neil. Since coming into office in Spring last year Mr Swinney has attempted to refresh the SNP's policy agenda with a renewed focus on addressing child poverty and improving public services, in particular tackling waits for NHS treatment. He has attempted to steer away from the public debate on gender politics which dominated the end of Ms Sturgeon's time in office.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Police arrest 300 people in major crackdown on illegal working in Scotland
Officers have been swooping on businesses across the country in a bid to tackle those abusing the UK immigration system. Over 300 people have been arrested in Scotland as part of an operation to disable illegal working in the UK. Officers have been swooping on businesses across the country in a bid to tackle those abusing the UK immigration system and exploiting vulnerable people. A particular focus has been on cracking down on employers facilitating illegal working - often subjecting migrants to squalid conditions and illegal working hours below minimum wage. Restaurants, nail bars and construction sites have been among the thousands of businesses targeted. Since July 2024, 469 visits resulted in 309 arrests - marking a 63% and 68% rise respectively to the previous year. Last month, a raid in Glasgow saw six arrested after immigration enforcement officers undertook visits to businesses across the city. Four men and two women were arrested for having no right to work in the UK and overstaying their visas. The individuals were of Indian, Iraqi, Colombian, Spanish and Portuguese nationalities. Businesses to be targeted in the sting included Malaga Tapas West End, Malaga Tapas Bearsden, The Malletsheugh, The Marmaris and Lamegos. The action forms part of a nationwide intensification which has seen illegal working visits increase by 48% and arrests spike by 51% across the UK. It comes alongside a ramp-up of operational activity to restore control of the immigration system, including the return of nearly 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: ' Illegal working simply will not be tolerated under this government. 'That's why we are intensifying our enforcement activity to target illegal workers and unscrupulous employers who undermine our border security. 'Under our Plan for Change, we are finally restoring order to our immigration system and ensuring the rules are respected and enforced.' Lynne Davidson, HM Inspector, Scotland ICE Team, said: 'There is no excuse for ignoring employment and immigration rules and those who do should be in no doubt that they will face the full consequences. 'Businesses have a legal requirement to carry out right to work checks on employees and we will continue to pursue unscrupulous employers and those who break immigration laws.' Ramping up illegal working enforcement activity forms a key part of the Home Office's drive to restore order to the immigration system under the UK Government 's Plan for Change. In many cases, individuals travelling to the UK illegally are sold a lie by smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in the UK, when in reality they often end up facing poor pay, inhumane working hours and squalid living conditions The UK Government is also introducing tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working by extending Right to Work checks on those hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services.
