Scots Sikh Jagtar Singh Johal facing murder charge in India

Jagtar Singh Johal
Image caption Mr Johal has been charged with offences including murder and criminal conspiracy

A Scottish Sikh man being held in India is facing charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.

Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was arrested in Punjab last November.

Campaigners say he has been tortured while being held by the Indian authorities.

The 31-year-old is one of 10 men accused of being involved in the murder of Hindu nationalist leader Ravinder Gosain. He was shot dead in October last year.

'Sufficient evidence'

Mr Johal and the other accused were brought to court in Mohali amid tight security.

The prosecution counsel said that the charge sheet against them ran to nearly 1,500 pages.

The national investigating agency (NIA), which was established by the Indian government to combat terror in India, has named 172 witnesses in the case.

The counsel told the court: "We have sufficient evidence against Johal."

Arvind Chhabra, from the BBC's Punjabi service, said legal arguments will be held on 22 May after which the court may or may not frame charges against the accused.

Image caption A protest was held in London last month to coincide with a visit from the Indian prime minister

Meanwhile campaigners, including members of the Sikh Federation and Sikhs from across Europe are planning to gather outside the UN in Geneva for a protest.

They want the United Nations to investigate their allegations and say they are relying on the organisation to uphold Mr Johal's rights.

The Indians authorities have maintained that due process is being followed and the Punjabi police have denied allegations of torture.

Theresa May discussed the case with the Indian prime minister when he visited London last month.

Mr Johal was arrested in Punjab on 4 November, just over a fortnight after his wedding.

His family have said he was a peaceful activist who had contributed to a website remembering the 1984 massacre at the Golden Temple at Amritsar but was not a militant.

His brother Gurpreet Singh will be at the protest in Geneva.

Ahead of the court appearance, he told BBC Scotland: "If he has done something wrong, or there is enough proof against him, then charge him and let him have a fair trial.

"Everyone deserves a fair trial and if he's innocent, he'll be found innocent in the trial.

"But then the authorities, 180 days later, have still not produced any charges against him at all."