Delhi High Court grants bail to British national Jagtar Singh Johal in seven UAPA cases, citing prosecution delay in producing evidence. (File)aCiting the inordinate delay by the prosecution in producing verifiable evidence, the Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to Jagtar Singh Johal, a British national jailed for his alleged role in funding the Khalistan Liberation Force, which had carried out targeted killings in Punjab.Johal, 38, was arrested in November 2017 when he arrived in Punjab to marry his fiancée. His trial was deferred numerous times. Later, in March 2025, he was acquitted in one case, which the prosecution did not challenge.The latest verdict now clears the way for his release from jail, after being incarcerated for more than eight years.The seven NIA cases, lodged between 2017 and 2019 in various divisions of Punjab, include terror law charges, offences under the Arms Act, as well as murder.The court found the acquittal of “strong persuasive value”, noting that “on similar averments, (Johal) is being implicated” in the seven NIA cases as a co-conspirator. “Therefore, at least for enlarging (Johal) on bail, this order shall have a strong persuasive value,” it held.Johal’s bail conditions require him “not to join any WhatsApp group or other social media platforms where anti-national material is uploaded or circulated or propagated”. He shall also furnish an undertaking to this extent before a trial court.Johal must also surrender his passport.Opposing his bail, the prosecution had highlighted that certain witnesses have complained to the trial court of being threatened.Story continues below this adHowever, the bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja, weighing in the delay in Johal’s trial and his prolonged incarceration for more than eight years, noted: “The pace of the trial has not really picked up” despite repeated Supreme Court orders.Also, testimonies of only 40 of the 123 witnesses have been examined and recorded so far.Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More Tags:delhi high court