Jagtar Singh Johal, centre, being escorted to a court in Punjab state in 2017. The UN says no admissible evidence has been produced.

AFP/File

NEW DELHI: British Sikh blogger Jagtar Singh Johal has been granted bail by the Delhi High Court after spending nearly nine years in detention in India, according to his family and legal representatives.

Johal, 39, from Dumbarton in west Scotland, was detained in November 2017 while he was in India for his wedding.

He was arrested over allegations of involvement in a plot to assassinate right-wing Hindu leaders. Johal’s family and campaigners have consistently denied the allegations.

Why was Johal granted bail?

The Delhi High Court granted Johal bail on Friday after asking prosecutors to provide evidence supporting his continued detention, according to Reprieve, a British organisation that has campaigned for his release.

Reprieve said prosecutors were unable to present sufficient evidence to justify his continued detention.

A court had already acquitted Johal of one terrorism-related charge in March 2025. He has now been granted bail in the remaining eight cases, including a charge of conspiracy to murder.

Reprieve has said the remaining charges substantially overlap with the case in which he was acquitted.

Johal had previously been denied bail in 2024.

Family welcomes bail decision

Johal’s brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, welcomed the development and said his brother was expected to be released in the coming days.

In a statement released by Reprieve, Gurpreet described the decision as “really, really good news” after the family’s long campaign for his release.

Johal’s MP, Douglas McAllister, also welcomed the decision on social media and described his constituent’s detention as arbitrary. He called for Johal to be allowed to return home.

Bail conditions and remaining charges

Reprieve’s deputy executive director Dan Dolan said Johal’s bail conditions were likely to be strict.

Dolan also said Johal would continue to face the death penalty if convicted in the remaining cases.

The Delhi High Court is expected to issue a detailed written order explaining the bail decision, according to Indian legal news outlet Live Law.

UN experts raised concerns over detention

UN-mandated experts raised concerns about Johal’s detention in April and called for his immediate release.

The experts said Johal had allegedly been held incommunicado for 10 days after his arrest and cited allegations that he was subjected to electric shocks and threats of death.

They also referred to reports of worsening detention conditions, including restrictions on family contact, limited access to basic hygiene and periods of solitary confinement.

The allegations regarding Johal’s treatment have been disputed and remain separate from the court’s ongoing proceedings.