The Ministry of Home Affairs has purportedly informed its counterpart in the United Kingdom that Punjab Police personnel investigating the murder of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist have received death threats after they arrested a British citizen in the case, The Hindu reported on Wednesday.

Indian officials arrested 31-year-old Jagtar Singh Johal in November 2017, a fortnight after his wedding, for the murder of RSS member Ravinder Gosain. The National Investigation Agency, which later took over the inquiry, has said that Gosain and eight others were murdered in 2016-’17 as “part of a conspiracy to destabilise Punjab”. The agency alleged that Sikh extremist elements around the world were involved in the conspiracy.

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“Since the arrest of Jagtar Singh Johal, a false, slanderous and orchestrated media campaign has been initiated by militants and their sympathisers as well as radical elements based in Britain and other western countries against the Punjab government and the Punjab police,” said an internal home ministry note that the daily quoted. “In fact, Punjab police officers have been receiving death threats.”

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju is believed to have informed his UK counterpart Baroness Susan Williams that Johal will be tried in India, but will be allowed access to British High Commission representatives, The Tribune reported. Johal is currently lodged in a Punjab jail.

On Sunday, a report in The Independent claimed that Johal had alleged that he was being tortured by Indian authorities. “Threats of taking me to a remote location where I would be shot dead were also given,” a letter purportedly written by Johal claimed. The British news website’s report said the United Nations’ special rapporteur on torture, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, and the vice-chair of the UN working group on arbitrary detention have issued a joint appeal asking India to respond to the allegations.