Moga Court Clears British National Jaggi Johal of Hindu Leader Target Killing Charges

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): A Moga court has acquitted British citizen Jaggi Johal in a case related to the target killings of Hindu leaders in Punjab, which is currently under investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Johal was accused of being involved in the murder of Dera follower Gurdeep as well as the killing of RSS leader Brigadier Jagdish Gagneja.

His arrest in 2017 sparked significant uproar in the UK, with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson openly supporting him. Johnson had written a letter describing Johal as a British national and claimed that he was "arbitrarily" imprisoned in India. Since his arrest, Johal has been lodged in Tihar Jail. His case gained attention in the UK, with 70 MPs strongly advocating for his release.

Jaggi Johal, a resident of Scotland, UK, arrived in Punjab on October 2, 2017 and got married on October 18. His brother Gurpreet and parents returned to the UK after the wedding. However, on November 4, Johal was arrested from Rama Mandi in Jalandhar.

The NIA's investigation revealed that terrorists Harminder Mintu and Hardeep Singh had traveled to Europe, where they allegedly met Johal. He was reportedly linked to the Khalistan Liberation Force. The case also saw involvement from various Sikh organizations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Akal Takht Sahib, who took a stand on the matter.