The release of a Scottish man detained in India for years is "right at the top of the agenda" for the UK Government, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has said. His comments come as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer prepares to meet Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Thursday to sign a new trade deal.
Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton near Glasgow, was arrested whilst in India for his wedding in 2017 and has been held ever since. Despite being cleared of one case against him earlier this year, he still faces charges at federal level which supporters fear could take years to resolve.
'Golden opportunity' for release
His supporters claim an initial confession he made was the result of torture. Ahead of Thursday's meeting between the two prime ministers, Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet suggested it represents a "golden" chance to secure his release.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Thursday, Murray said the issue is "complex" but the UK Government is working to resolve it. "The Government are doing all we possibly can to get this resolved," he said.
Recent diplomatic efforts
Murray revealed there was a recent meeting at the start of June between the Foreign Secretary and his Indian counterpart to try and resolve the issues. "So it's right at the top of the agenda and we can assure and re-assure that we're doing everything we possibly can to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible," he added.
Speaking earlier on the same programme, Gurpreet Singh Johal - a serving Labour councillor in West Dunbartonshire - said raising the case was not enough. "There's a golden opportunity here for the Prime Minister now, prior to the deal being signed or as the deal is being signed, that he strongly calls for Jagtar to be returned to his family so he can continue his married life," he said.
Government commitment
Murray emphasised that all parties are aligned on the urgency of the situation. "The call is for these issues to be resolved and we're all fully on the same page in terms of having to get them resolved as quickly as possible," he said.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
