Punjab Police ready with case files of criminals as deportation of Indians from US begin
Punjab Police have prepared the criminal history of nearly 100 wanted criminals, with 20 of them suspected to be hiding in the US, even as the first flight of deported illegal immigrants is on its way to India.
“There is a low probability that the flight would carry dangerous criminals wanted in Punjab and elsewhere in the country, but ever since US President Donald Trump ordered a crackdown on illegal immigrants and criminals, we have been working on finalising the criminal files to facilitate deportation or extradition,” said a senior police official.
“The case history of about 100 criminals was already being finalised by the Counter-Intelligence unit, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force and the Anti-Gangster Task Force. We maintain the files in routine and just plug the requirements, if any,” said the official.
“The announcement by the US President that he will not allow his country’s soil to be used for violence was encouraging for Punjab Police, as we have been seeking the deportation or extradition of wanted criminals, including Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) head Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. He has been encouraging illegal immigration from Punjab. So, we prepared the case files immediately to facilitate this process,” said the official.
“The beginning of the process of deporting illegal immigrants means that the US may speed up action against Punjab gangsters operating from the US and causing violence in Punjab,” said the official.
Notable among the wanted criminals said to be in the US are Sidhu Moosewala murder accused Anmol Bishnoi, who is the younger brother of dreaded gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Others include Happy Passia, involved in recent grenade attacks at police installations in Punjab, drug smuggler Sarwan Bhola, and Gopi Nawanshehria.
Police sources said the case files and requisite documents, including Red Corner Notices (RCNs) facilitating the deportation/extradition of wanted criminals, were mandatory requisites for this purpose. “We are not immediately concerned about the illegal immigrants, other than exploring the role of illegal travel agents who sent them abroad through donkey routes and other illegal channels. This would be subject to complaints filed by the deported persons.”
So far, Punjab Police have not received information about the identity of the illegal immigrants sent back home in a special Army plane by the US. The police is in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as well as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), regarding the identity of the immigrants and the deportation process.