Twitterati has come out in support of Jagtar Singh Johal from Dumbarton who was reportedly forced into a van by police on 4 November.
The BBC reported that a Scots activist has been arrested in India over claims that he was “influencing the youth through social media”, quoting a Sikh group.
Jagtar Singh, was reportedly in India’s Punjab region with his family ahead of his wedding. The group fear he is be targeted because of his work highlighting the Sikh genocide in 1984. He was in court on Sunday and was expected to appear again on Friday, but has not.
u.k. citizen jagtar singh—an activist vocal about human rights abuses—was visiting india for his wedding when abducted by police. since then he’s been illegally detained tortured & electrocuted w/o process#freejagginow pic.twitter.com/bqPrynrl2J
— rupi kaur (@rupikaur_) November 15, 2017
He was reportedly out shopping with his wife to be, and cousin, when the incident happened in Jalandhar in the state of Punjab.
Johal’s crimes reportedly include “running a magazine” in the UK of atrocities during the 1984 Sikh Genocide and “influencing the youth through social media”.
Imagine going back to your motherland and being arrested and tortured all because you spoke about a genocide that took the lives of innocent people
This is happening RIGHT NOW
Please share this post and help raise awareness to #FreeJaggiNow pic.twitter.com/p2KcgYSFDa
— Manni Sandhu (@mannisandhu) November 17, 2017
His whereabouts and condition remain unknown, the Sikh Federation said.
His elder brother Gurpreet Singh Johal said: “Unless the British authorities quickly step in this will guarantee a law-abiding British citizen will be illegally detained for some time and will not receive a fair trial.
Saddened to hear the reports of the torture of Jagtar Singh Johal after his arrest in Punjab. Whatever the allegations on him may be, every person has the right to a free trial. As Sikhs we pray for Sarbat Da Bhalla.🙏🏽 #freejagginow
— DILJIT DOSANJH (@diljitdosanjh) November 19, 2017
My letter to Boris Johnson on the case of Jagtar Singh Johal who has been arrested and allegedly tortured by police in India. Jagtar is a British citizen from Dumbarton and must have access to consular support to ensure his human rights are protected #FreeJaggiNow pic.twitter.com/8BbA9xivGy
— Martin Docherty (@MartinJDocherty) November 15, 2017