Preet Kaur Gill MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs have written to the Prime Minister Theresa May's office requesting her to 'use all the diplomatic means' at her disposal to ensure that the Government of India abides by the rule of law and not subject British citizen Jagtar Singh Johal to torture, who was arrested by the Indian security forces on 4 November 2017.
Johal was visiting India for his marriage when he was arrested. Seven months later, Johal has still been in detention. He has alleged that he has been subject to torture in the hands of Indian security forces, includding “electric shocks” and has been “threatened to be burnt”. Mr Johal also alleged that he was forced to make recordings of statements police officers told him to say, and that he was forced to sign blank pieces of paper and other documents he was not allowed to read.
Gill who has been working closely with Jagtar's MP Martin Docherty-Hughes have communicated with the Foreign Commonwealth Office and also written to Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh. Gill has requested for a statement to the House by the Foreign Secretary. This letter has been co-signed by 69 other MPs including Rushanara Ali, Imran Hussain, Shabana and Khalid Mahmood, Naz Shah, faisal rashid, Virendra Sharma, Mohammed Yasin and Keith Vaz.
No official charges have been brought against Johal, but the Indian police have claimed he was linked to the killing of Hindu leaders in Punjab.
