Jagtar Johal’s ‘torture’: Issue raked up in British Parliament
LONDON: The UK government on Tuesday said that it would take “extreme action” if any British citizen is being tortured as the case of a Scottish-born Sikhman, Jagtar Singh Johal, who has been jailed in India, was raised in the House of Commons.
Jag tar SinghJ oh al alias J aggi, a British citizen, has been in a Punjab jail since his arrest earlier this month by the state’s police for his alleged role in targeted killings in the state.
Local MP Martin DochertyHughes of the Scottish National Party( S NP) asked the UK foreign office what representations were being made to the Indian government on reports of his alleged “torture” in custody.
“We take any allegation of torture very seriously, as indeed would the Indian government,” foreign office minister Rory Stewart told Doc her ty-Hughes.
“It is completely unconstitutional, it is offensive to the British government and we will work very closely to investigate and, of course, we will take extreme action if a British citizen is being tortured,” he said.
The minister of state in the foreign office stressed that the issue
JOHAL, A BRITISH CITIZEN, IS IN A PUNJAB JAIL SINCE HIS ARREST EARLIER THIS MONTH FOR HIS ALLEGED ROLE IN TARGETED KILLINGS
was being taken“very seriously” and that the deputy high commissioner of the UK had managed to gain access to hold a meeting with Jo hal. The issue was raised in the parliament a day after British Prime Minister Theresa May was confronted by the BBC’s Asian Network to comment on Johal’s arrest in India .“I am aware of the concern that has been expressed about Jag tar SinghJ oh al. Representatives from the foreign office have met with him and are pursuing the case, watching what is happening with concern and will take necessary action ,” she said.
Jo hal’ s MP, Doc her ty-Hughes, has been campaigning for his freedom and has also written to Downing Street seeking a meeting for his UK-based family with the Prime Minister.
TheScottish-bornSikhwasin Jalandhar with his family for his wedding last month when he was reportedly arrested by plainclothes police officials in the city.
Sikh Federation UK, a representative group leading a# FreeJaggiNow social media campaign, has quoted his lawyer J aspal Sing hM anj hp ur as saying that Johal has been subjected to physical and mental“torture” in jail. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Sikhs, led by Labour MP PreetKaurG ill, had earlier written to UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson urging him to protect Johal’s rights as a British citizen.
The Punjab government has claimed that Johal is among a group of suspects arrested on allegations of fanning communal disturbance in the state.