London, Nov 7 (IANS): Top lawyers have asked UK Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad to retract his recent comments saying that British Sikh Jagtar Singh Johal would receive "due process" in India where he has been detained since 2017 over terror charges.

Cutting across party lines, a group of more than 70 MPs had called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to seek "immediate release" of Johal, as he travelled to New Delhi to attend the G20 leaders' summit in September.

Responding to Scottish National Party MP Martin Docherty-Hughes, Lord Ahmed said that with Johal’s trial underway in India, a call for his release would be considered interference in the Indian judicial process, which could jeopardise UK's ability to offer consular assistance.

He further said that with Johal’s trial underway in India, a call for his release would be considered interference in the Indian judicial process, which could jeopardise UK's ability to offer consular assistance.

The Minister told Docherty-Hughes that Johal's issue was brought up by the British Foreign Secretary during his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on March 1.

“Where appropriate, the Prime Minister will also raise Johal’s case during his upcoming engagements with the Indian government," Lord Ahmed wrote in his letter to the MP.

Sunak confirmed that he raised Johal's case during his talks with counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit but didn't provide details.

In response to the development, campaigners for Johal said the UK government should declare Modi's response to Sunak on the issue, and that it is "meaningless" if the Prime Minister didn't call for "immediate release".

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson told The Guardian that it was committed to resolving Johal’s case “as soon as possible”.

“We continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Johal and his family and have consistently raised his case directly with the government of India,” the spokesperson added.