CHANDIGARH: Gurmeet Chauhan AIG AGTF today said that that bringing international gangster Ramanjit Singh Romy from Hong Kong was a prestige issue for the Punjab Police. He was involved in Nabha Jail break.
Chauhan in a press release said that it was possible to extradite Romy from Hong Kong due to support from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav. He said that Romy was in Hong Kong jail since 2018 after a red corner notice was issued against him and detained by the Hong Kong police. Romy had planned Nabha Jail break from Romania and managed escape of gangster Vicky gaundar later killed in an encounter.
Chauhan in a TV interview said that Punjab Police was also trying to bring back Goldi Brar against whom red corner notice has already been issued. He was extradited under treaty between Hing Kong and Indian government. There are two main cases against Romy under which he was extradited. Romy has been sent to Nabha jail under judicial custody since police had not sought his police remand.
“After tireless efforts by @PunjabPoliceInd, Romy, the key conspirator, is being brought back today to face justice. He was in touch with #ISI and other escaped prisoners, including Harminder Singh Mintu and Kashmir Singh Galwaddi of the Khalistan Liberation Force (#KLF), ” informed Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav in a post on his X handle (formerly Twitter).
The DGP's tweet further reads, “We thank the Hong Kong authorities, the CBI, Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs and all other central agencies as part of this international cooperation.”
Pertinently, the fugitive Ramanjit Singh alias Romi played a vital role in Nabha Jailbreak took place on November 27, 2016 at around 9am, in which, Gangsters dressed as policemen, broke open the high security jail and freed six dreaded inmates/gangsters namely Harminder Singh alias Mintu, Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, Amandeep Singh Dhotian, Kulpreet Singh alias Neeta Deol, Kashmir Singh alias Galwaddi and gangster Harjinder Singh alias Vicky Gonder, who was later neutralized by Punjab Police on January 26, 2018 in Rajasthan, while, others were arrested. Romi, who is a key member of the Shera Khuban/Vicky Gaunder gang, had provided logistical in the form of financial aid, weapons used in Nabha Jail break, fake IDs used to gain access in the jail and financial support to the gang members in the preparation to execute the jail break, besides, providing safe houses and hideouts to the prisoners, who had escaped from the jail.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that through relentless investigation and meticulous operations, a total of 26 accused of Nabha Jailbreak were arrested and chargesheeted, however, Ramanjit Singh alias Romy, who was the foreign handler was declared a proclaimed offender. The latter, who was also in touch with ISI and Harminder Singh Mintu and Kashmir singh Galwaddi of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), emerged as the mastermind behind the jailbreak, he said.
“Our relentless pursuit of justice led to issuance of a Look Out Circular (LOC) and Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Romi. The extradition process was set in motion in 2018 as per the mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) with the Government of Special Administrative Region (SAR) Hong Kong, where the case was robustly presented to the Department of Justice and the Hon’ble Courts of Hong Kong, ” said the Punjab DGP, while adding that following which, the Hon’ble Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong issued the order for Romi’s surrender on August 6, 2024.
DGP Gaurav Yadav commended the strenuous efforts of the entire team of AGTF headed by ADGP Promod Ban for marking the culmination of an extraordinary international operation with the cooperation of Ministery of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India that demonstrated the resolve and competence of the Punjab Police.