Scottish Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal freed on bail after nine years in Indian prison

Scottish Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal was released on bail after nine years in an Indian prison. Last twelvemonth Johal was acquitted in a lawsuit where he was accused of financially supporting the KLF panic group. He remained in detention because he faces national charges in eight separate cases, for which he possibly faces the death penalty. His legal team contends that the cases are largely identical and that the additional accusations should be dropped. Over the past nine years there have been hundreds of hearings, and the bail application observes that the proceedings are "certainly not apt to reason anytime soon". His brother Gurpreet Singh Johal, who has lobbied successive governments for his release, said the decision to grant bail was a "really important milestone". He added, "It is conscionable a archetypal step, but it is simply a measurement successful the close direction." The decision was also welcomed by politicians and the legal charities Redress and Reprieve, which