Chandigarh, Aug 22 (IANS): Punjab Police have secured the extradition of 2016 Nabha jailbreak mastermind Ramanjit Singh, also known as Romy, who was in touch with ISI, from Hong Kong. He was brought back to India by the team of Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police on Thursday.
The accused was behind the 2016 Nabha jailbreak incident in which six wanted criminals, including two terrorists, escaped from the high-security jail as it was attacked by 10 to 12 armed men.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said after continuous efforts by the police, Romy was brought back to India to face trial.
Romy was in contact with the ISI and other escaped prisoners, including Harminder Singh Mintu and Kashmir Singh Galwaddi of the Khalistan Liberation Force.
The DGP added that the efforts of the police led to the issuance of the Look Out Circular and Red Corner Notice against Romy.
The extradition process was started in 2018 under a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the Hong Kong government.
Yadav said that the robust presentation of evidence to Hong Kong's Department of Justice and courts led to Romy's extradition.
"We thank the Hong Kong authorities, the CBI, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs and all other central agencies as part of this international cooperation," DGP Yadav added.
Romy was arrested in Hong Kong for his involvement in a Rs 30-crore robbery in February 2018.
According to the police, Romy, the point man between the terrorists and gangsters, hatched the jailbreak conspiracy sitting abroad.
He had provided money, weapons and other logistical support for the jailbreak.
On November 27, 2016, a group of gangsters in police uniforms opened fire at security guards in the high-security Nabha jail in Patiala district and freed four gangsters and two terrorists.
Khalistani terrorist Harminder Singh Mintoo, who escaped during the jailbreak, was arrested in a joint operation by the Punjab Police and the Delhi Police Special Cell within 24 hours of the crime.
The main accused in the case, gangster Vicky Gounder, was killed in a police encounter.
As per the police, Romy, a key member of the Shera Khuban and Vicky Gaunder gang, had provided logistical in the form of financial aid, weapons used in the jailbreak, fake IDs used to gain access in the jail and financial support to the gang members in the preparation to execute the crime, besides providing safe houses and hideouts to the prisoners, who had escaped from the jail.
DGP Yadav said through investigation and meticulous operations, 26 accused of the jailbreak were arrested and chargesheeted.
However, Romy, the foreign handler, was declared a proclaimed offender.
"The extradition process was set in motion in 2018 as per the mutual legal assistance treaty with the government of Special Administrative Region (SAR) Hong Kong, where the case was robustly presented to the Department of Justice and the courts of Hong Kong," said the DGP, adding following which the Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong issued the order for Romy's surrender on August 6, 2024.
Yadav commended the efforts of the entire team of AGTF headed by ADGP Pramod Ban for marking the culmination of an extraordinary international operation with the cooperation of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs that demonstrated the resolve and competence of the Punjab Police.