Jags Panesar

Casting and introduction On 21 August 2019, it was announced that the Panesar brothers, consisting of Jags (Amar Adatia), Kheerat (Jaz Deol), and Vinny (Shiv Jalota), would join the soap in the upcoming Autumn. The brothers were teased to arrive with "score to settle" with another family and were billed by show bosses as "charming by nature but still a force to be reckoned with". Speaking on the news of his casting, Adatia was excited to join: "My younger self would never have believed I'd be on EastEnders. It's pretty amazing to be part of one of the most iconic television shows alongside some of the best actors in the business. I really am so grateful". Sen enthused about being "thrilled" to introduce the "vibrant" siblings, especially excited to explore their storylines. The dispute would result in Jags abducting Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) as revenge on Ben for crossing his brother. Relationship with Habiba In March 2020, after a heartfelt conversation with Habiba Ahmed (Rukku Nahar), the characters shared an unexpected kiss and slept together. It was announced that the show would explore a romance between the pair as Habiba would "begin to see Jags in a new light" after he confides in her about his relationship with his cold mother Suki (Balvinder Sopal) and about an old friend of his being at death's door. Following the inaugural night, Jags and Habiba began to date in secret. When Jags eventually tells his family about the relationship, Adatia called it a "huge" moment and a "big step" for Jags because "he's never really had his own mind". The announcement marked Jags as the first member of the Panesar family to exit the serial. Details surrounding Jags's exit plot were later confirmed to involve a recent incident where Vinny attacked Martin Fowler (James Bye) and Suki's fury surrounding Jags and Habiba's relationship. Jags would be asked to help the family cover up the attack, struggling with the morality of doing so, leading to his mother betraying him. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and storylines were delayed, the actor decided to stay on EastEnders for slightly longer to ensure that the show "wrapped up Jags's storyline properly". Sopal explained that Suki's motives for turning Jags in were born from anger, as his relationship with Habiba was "another thing that just tipped her over the edge". She continued by explaining that Jags's rebellion caused Suki to see him as the "weakest" member of the family, therefore he needed to be "taught a lesson". Despite Habiba's best attempts to prove Jags's innocence, it was later revealed that Jags had been sentenced to four years in prison. On 24 June 2021, it was revealed that Jags had been killed in an off-screen prison attack after he got on the wrong side of a prison gang. As she was the one who falsely incriminated him, Suki was set to be "broken" by the death and his oncoming funeral. ==Storylines==

Jags and his brother Kheerat (Jaz Deol) first arrive in Walford to confront Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) after he steals Kheerat's car. They threaten him with retaliation unless the car is returned to them. When Ben fails to deliver, Jags kidnaps Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold), though he is berated by Kheerat for this and later lets her go after Ben comes to meet them and promises to repay them. A few weeks later, Jags and Kheerat, joined by their other brother Vinny (Shiv Jalota) arrive on the Square in search of their sister Ash Panesar (Gurlaine Kaur Garcha). While there, Jags recognises Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer) waiting at a bus stop, and tells Kheerat that he used to have a crush on her at school, and that they once went on a date. The Panesar siblings later move to Walford and are eventually joined by their mother Suki (Balvinder Sopal). When Suki is revealed to have lied about having cancer, Jags is the first of the family to forgive her. Jags gets close to and eventually enters a secret relationship with Habiba Ahmed (Rukku Nahar), though he fears Suki's reaction as Habiba is Muslim and Jags is Sikh, ultimately deciding against going public. In September 2020, Vinny attacks Martin Fowler (James Bye) in a botched staged robbery, and Jags helps to clear up the evidence. After challenging his family's treatment of their tenants, Jags goes public about his relationship with Habiba. Enraged, Suki hands Jags' bloody jeans into the police, telling them he attacked Martin. Jags is wrongfully arrested and reluctantly agrees to plead guilty for the crime. He is sentenced to 4 years in prison. Months later, the Panesar family learn that Jags has gotten on the wrong side of a gang in prison, and Kheerat makes an agreement with Ben to arrange protection for him. Meanwhile, Habiba gives birth to Jags' son, Tyrion, off-screen. Kheerat remains hopeful for Jags' welfare, however Ben later cancels the protection in an act of rage. Shortly afterwards, in June 2021, the Panesars learn that Jags had been beaten to death in an attack in his cell. ==Reception==

When it was revealed that Jags had a past connection to Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer), Stephen Patterson of the Metro speculated Jags being involved in Chantelle's escape from her abusive husband Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) and looked forward to seeing how their connection would be explored in upcoming episodes. Patterson later deemed the first kiss between Jags and Habiba a "shock passion". Claire Crick of ''What's On TV'' expressed sympathy for Jags after Suki falsely reported him as Martin's attacker. Will Twigger of the Daily Mirror reported that viewers noticed a plot hole in the storyline, as when Suki turned in Vinny's bloody jeans, claiming them to be Jags's, the police should have noticed that they were too small to belong to Jags as the brothers were noticeably different sizes. Twigger's colleague Kyle O'Sullivan commented that the decision to write in Jags's off-screen death was "controversial" and added that fans had hoped he would return to the role. Laura Denby of Radio Times described Jags as a "kind soul" and deemed his death "brutal" and "harrowing". ==References==