Delhi High Court grants bail to British National Jagtar Singh Johal in seven UAPA cases

The Delhi High Court has granted bail to British national Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi in seven cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with a series of targeted killings and attempted murders reported in Punjab during 2016-17.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Ravinder Dudeja passed the order on Friday. The detailed judgment setting out the reasons for the grant of bail is awaited.

Johal, who was arrested in Punjab in 2017, faces prosecution in multiple cases investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The cases arise out of allegations concerning targeted killings in the Ludhiana and Jalandhar districts.

According to the prosecution case, the incidents formed part of an alleged transnational conspiracy attributed to the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), with the objective of creating a law-and-order crisis in Punjab. The allegations against Johal include claims that he acted as a financier and courier in furtherance of the alleged conspiracy.

The trial court had earlier declined bail to Johal in the cases. Five bail applications were rejected by the NIA Special Court in September 2022, while two others were rejected in April 2024. The Delhi High Court had subsequently dismissed his bail appeals in September 2024.

The matter thereafter reached the Supreme Court. On July 15, 2026, the top court remanded the cases to the Delhi High Court for fresh consideration of Johal’s bail pleas. The High Court has now allowed the appeals and granted bail.

The earlier High Court proceedings had recorded the prosecution’s contention that there was prima facie material linking Johal to the alleged conspiracy and the KLF. The 2024 judgment had also examined the stringent limitations governing bail under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA, under which the court is required to consider whether the accusations are prima facie true.

The present order, however, marks a fresh determination following the Supreme Court’s remand. The precise reasoning adopted by the Division Bench, including its asses

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