Nabha jailbreak plotter set to be extradited from Hong Kong

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, November 19

A Hong Kong court on Tuesday ordered the extradition of Ramanjit Singh Romi, the alleged mastermind of the Nabha jailbreak, to India. He is also wanted for his alleged involvement in a car theft case.

The Centre managed to ensure “provisional arrest” of Romi in Hong Kong. He was wanted by Interpol for his alleged role in terror activities and targeted killings in Punjab. A team of the intelligence wing of the Punjab Police led by AIG Gurmeet Chauhan and SP Harvinder Virk had been pursuing the case for the past three years.

Magistrate Pang Leung-ting of the Eastern Court ruled in favour of the Indian government. Virk says, “The 30-year-old can be handed over to Indian agencies within a month, but he can opt for other means to challenge his return to India. He has already engaged a team of lawyers. His main plea is that he could be tortured in Indian jails. However, we are positive that he would be in our custody soon.”

Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta told The Tribune that the development was a victory for the state police and the Indian criminal justice system. “The Punjab Government and the police worked closely with the MHA and the MEA to make it possible. The court orders show that crime doesn’t pay and the law will finally catch up with the criminal, often sooner than later.”

The Indian Government had demanded Romi’s custody in two criminal cases of 2016, which, it said, was equivalent to 28 serious offences in Hong Kong.

Sources say Romi’s interrogation is needed in the context of his alleged links with some of the campaigners of Referendum 2020. Romi had fled India in 2016 after he managed to get bail in an Arms Act case by allegedly bribing a SHO.

According to the state police, Romi was in touch with UK national Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, one of the key conspirators in targeted killings in Punjab. The duo was in touch with Harmeet Singh alias PHD, a KLF terrorist based in Pakistan. “Paramjit Singh Pamma, involved in bomb explosions and the murder of Rulda Singh, is also involved in the 2020 campaign, while Romi was in touch with Johal,” said a top official.

Romi was charged with a HK$32.6-million robbery in Hong Kong in February, but the prosecutors withdrew the charges recently, paving the way for his extradition to India.

Provided funds to escapees 

• Ramanjit Singh Romi was previously arrested in 2016, and later released on bail, but he escaped to Hong Kong 
• Interpol had issued Red Notice against Romi on Patiala Police’s application after his disappearance in 2016
• As per the police, he allegedly kept in touch with gangster Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, a key plotter and one of the six people to escape Nabha prison in November 2016
• Romi is believed to have provided financial assistance to the escapees for their jailbreak. Sekhon and some of his associates were arrested in February 2017