Blogger Mr. Johal, who has been held in prison for nearly five years, was held by the Indian Government after criticizing human rights violations against the Sikh community in India. His family claims that he was abused in jail and forced to sign a false confession. They have raised the case with the Indian Government, but the Indian government has denied the allegations of torture.
Dr Johal underwent specialist training in knee surgery in Adelaide, followed by fellowships in London and Bristol. He was awarded the prestigious EFORT fellowship to study in Leuven, Belgium, where he wrote his MD thesis on the kinematics of the knee joint. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences.
Mr Johal obtained his primary medical qualification at Cardiff University and became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2003. He then completed a PhD at the University of London on congenital bladder anomalies. He then completed fellowships in paediatric urology at Great Ormond Street and the Royal Marsden Hospitals, and has been at Great Ormond Street since 2017. He is the clinical lead for the urology service at the University College Hospitals London NHS Foundation Trust and is a member of the prenatal nephro-urology counselling team.