A Scottish Sikh activist has been released from prison in India after being detained for almost nine years without being convicted.

Jagtar Singh Johal thanked “the almighty” as he walked free from gate three of the Tihar Prison complex in Delhi.

The 39-year-old from Dumbarton was arrested in 2017 over allegations he had a role in a series of targeted killings of religious and political figures – which he denies.

Johal was granted bail at Delhi High Court on 18 September, but has only now been released from detention.

He was embraced by his mother-in-law and father-in law after leaving the jail in Janakpuri, in the south-west of the city.

Johal was given flowers and presented with a bright orange saropau, an honorary garment given in Sikh tradition to convey respect.

His release was welcomed with shouts of “Jo hole so nihal, sat Sri Akal” or “whoever utters these words shall be fulfilled true is the eternal timeless Lord”.

Johal had to surrender his passport as part of his bail conditions and is barred from speaking to the media about the case.

He was arrested in the Punjab region in 2017, just weeks after his wedding in the country.

He is accused of travelling to Paris in 2013 and handing about £3,000 to the Khalistan Liberation Force – an armed organisation which has carried out violent attacks in pursuit of a separate Sikh state.

It is claimed that this money was used to fund weapons to kill, or attempt to kill, religious and political figures in Punjab in 2016 and 2017.

The Indian authorities claim Johal is a member of the KLF and that “he actively participated and had complete knowledge of the conspiracy”.

However, his supporters say he was targeted for blogging about alleged human rights abuses against the Sikh community in India and was coerced into signing a false confession to participation in the killings.

Johal’s family say no concrete evidence has been presented against him and that the case was built on the testimony of unreliable witnesses.

His imprisonment was recognised by a UN panel as arbitrary detention in 2022 and he has claimed to have been tortured.

Indian authorities have previously denied the torture claim and have repeatedly maintained due process is being followed.

Last year Johal was acquitted in a case where he was accused of financially supporting the KLF terror group.

He remained in prison because he faces federal charges in eight other cases, for which he potentially faces the death penalty.

However, his legal team argues that these cases are almost identical and that the other charges should be dismissed.

There have been hundreds of hearings over the past nine years and the bail order concludes that the trial is “certainly not likely to conclude anytime soon”.

At the family home in Dumbarton, celebratory music could be heard after relatives spoke to Johal.

His brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, who has lobbied successive governments for his release, said there had also been tears on hearing confirmation of the news.

He described his release as a “first step” but a “step in the right direction”.

“There have been so many setbacks and disappointments in the last nine years that I didn’t dare to believe it until I saw Jagtar walking out of the prison gates with my own eyes,” Gurpreet said.

“I’ll sleep well tonight, knowing that he’s not behind bars. Tomorrow morning, the fight continues. We’ll keep on fighting until he’s home with us.”

Dan Dolan of the human rights charity Reprieve UK said Johal “still had the threat of a death sentence hanging over him” despite his release.

He said: “Jagtar remains on trial in cases that could last for decades and end in capital punishment, centred on a baseless allegation.

“His bail conditions deny him any semblance of a normal life.”

Redress senior legal advisor Chris Esdaile said Johal release was a “relief” but added he still faced “onerous” bail conditions.

“The prolonged uncertainty itself amounts to psychological torture,” he said.

“The remaining cases against him need to be dropped without further delay.”