UK intelligence agencies are suspected of informing Indian authorities about a British national’s abduction and alleged torture at the hands of Punjab police.
Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was in India in 2017 when he was pushed into an unmarked car, according to his relatives.
He claims he was tortured for days, including electrocution. Since then, he has been in custody.
His situation has been mentioned by successive British prime ministers, although India’s government disputes that he was tortured or abused.
Mr Johal was an avid blogger and fighter for Sikh human rights, which attracted the attention of Indian authorities.
In May, he was formally charged with murder conspiracy and membership in a terrorist gang. He will be given a complete list of the charges against him next month, and he could face the death penalty.
The charges are tied to Sikh nationalism, according to Indian authorities, but he denies any wrongdoing.
The human rights organization Reprieve has now revealed the BBC documentation that it claims is solid evidence that his arrest was the result of a tip-off from British intelligence.
The UK government has stated that it will not comment on an ongoing legal matter.
Reprieve claims to have linked many aspects of his case to a specific charge of maltreatment detailed in a report by the watchdog that controls intelligence services.
According to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO) findings, “during an inquiry, MI5 supplied intelligence to a liaison partner via the Secret Intelligence Service” (MI6).
“The subject of the intelligence was apprehended by their liaison partner.” “He told the British Consular Official that he had been tortured.”
Mr Johal is not identified in the paper, but Reprieve’s investigators are convinced that the facts match his case because of the dates involved, lobbying by British prime ministers, and supporting evidence described in the Indian press.
According to the Hindustan Times, Mr Johal “came under the investigation” in 2017 when “a source in the UK” informed the Punjab police with “vague information” about a crucial guy, “Johal.”
However, his brother Gurpreet informed the BBC that he was not aware of any criminal behavior.
Mr. Johal is currently imprisoned in Delhi. Following his detention, he claims he was held incommunicado, violently interrogated for hours on end, and originally denied access to lawyers or British diplomatic personnel.
He claims he was forced to sign blank sheets of paper, which were later used as a false confession against him.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he discussed Mr. Johal’s situation with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, during a visit to India in April. During his predecessor’s reign, Theresa May also highlighted the issue with the Indian government.
Mr Johal filed a High Court claim on August 12 against the Foreign Office, the Home Office, and the Attorney General, alleging that UK intelligence agencies improperly exchanged material with Indian authorities when there was a risk of torture.
According to Reprieve, this case demonstrates that the government has failed to address long-standing flaws in its policy on torture and the death penalty, and has learned little from previous failures such as the MI6 tip-off that resulted in the rendition and torture of Libyan dissident Abdulhakim Belhaj.
MP Steve Baker responded to the claims, saying, “This awful situation, in which UK intelligence cooperation has been linked to brutal torture, demonstrates plainly why the National Security Bill has to be addressed.”
The Foreign Office responded on behalf of all three accused government departments, saying, “It would be improper to comment on an ongoing judicial action.”
