Hong Kong court rules extradition of Nabha jailbreak mastermind Romi to India

The Indian government had demanded Ramanjit Singh Romi’s surrender in two criminal cases in 2016 (car theft and the Nabha jailbreak) which was the equivalent of 28 serious offences in Hong Kong.
Ramanjit Singh Romi had challenged the evidence against him arguing that his prosecution was merely a smokescreen for persecuting him as a young Sikh in support of a separatist movement.  (Photo | Twitter)
Ramanjit Singh Romi had challenged the evidence against him arguing that his prosecution was merely a smokescreen for persecuting him as a young Sikh in support of a separatist movement. (Photo | Twitter)

CHANDIGARH: A Hong Kong court on Tuesday ordered the extradition of Nabha jailbreak mastermind 30-year old Ramanjit Singh Romi from there in Nabha Jailbreak and car theft case.

Magistrate Pang Leung-ting of the Eastern Court ruled in favour of the Indian government and ordered Romi’s extradition to India.

The Indian government had demanded Singh’s surrender in two criminal cases in 2016 (car theft and the Nabha jailbreak) which was the equivalent of 28 serious offences in Hong Kong. He was also wanted by Interpol for his alleged role in terror activities and targeted killings in Punjab.

Singh had challenged the evidence against him arguing that his prosecution was merely a smokescreen for persecuting him as a young Sikh in support of a separatist movement. It is learnt that he might file a writ of habeas corpus petition in the High Court there thus further delaying his extradition to India, said sources.

Sources in the intelligence agencies said that he was charged with an HK$32.6-million robbery in Hong Kong in February 2018 but the charges were withdrawn four months later in August by the prosecutors. But he remained in custody as the Indian Government had served a provisional warrant for his arrest in June 2018 and then in August made a formal request for his surrender. Thus paving the way for his extradition to India. Romi had fled from India in 2016 after he managed to get bail in an Arms Act case. 
The Punjab Police had prepared a 1,200-page dossier on him in order to get his custody.

Police alleged that Romi had helped gangster Vicky Gounder in getting an assault rifle and he also funded the gangsters as he was the main contact person between them and the terrorists and mastermind in the jailbreak to free four gangsters and two terrorists. 

Furthermore, he was also allegedly in contact with Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, a UK resident, who was one of the key conspirators in targeted killings in the state and Harmeet Singh a Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) militant who is in Pakistan and had links with ISI.

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