Nabha jailbreak mastermind extradited from Hong Kong
Tribune News Service
Patiala, August 22
The mastermind behind the 2016 Nabha jailbreak, Ramanjit Singh Romi, was extradited from Hong Kong to India on Thursday. He was being brought to Punjab, where he will be interrogated by various agencies for his alleged links with gangsters and terrorists.
A six-member Punjab Police team brought Romi from Hong Kong to India. He is likely to be taken to Nabha for further questioning regarding his involvement in various cases in Punjab. Police officials said Romi, 34, was the key conspirator in the jailbreak in which six hardcore criminals, including two terrorists, managed to escape.
“His questioning is vital to expose the terror-gangster module in the state,” said a top cop. Ever since Romi’s arrest in Hong Kong for his “role in a robbery” in 2018, the Centre and the Punjab Police were trying to get him extradited from there.
2016 incident
- On November 27, 2016, a group of gangsters in police uniforms approached the high-security Nabha jail in two vehicles
- They told jail staff they had brought a convict and asked them to open the gate
- When the gate was opened, they took sentries hostage and fired over 20 shots
- They managed to free six prisoners, including KLF chief Harminder Singh. Later, the police claimed Romi was the mastermind behind the incident
The Centre had sent formal requests for his deportation through diplomatic channels and a court in Hong Kong handed over his custody to India after much delay.
“Pursuant to Section 13(1) of the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, I order that Ramanjit Singh, also known as Romi, be surrendered to the Republic of India,” read the order issued by John KC Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The extradition proceedings against Romi, a resident of Bangi Ruldu village of Bathinda, were initiated in 2018. “He had been residing at Kowloon, Hong Kong. We got his custody from the court today,” AIG Harvinder Virk told The Tribune.
On Thursday afternoon, Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav announced that Romi had been extradited to India.
“After tireless efforts by the Punjab Police, Romi is being brought back today to face justice. He was in touch with the ISI and escaped prisoners, including Harminder Singh Mintoo and Kashmir Singh Galwaddi of the Khalistan Liberation Force,” he posted on X.
“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,” he added.
The team, headed by AIG Virk, was assisted by Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) DSP Bikramjit Singh Brar. The other team members were DSP Davinder Kumar, Inspectors Harry Boparai and Ronnie Singh and AGTF Sub-Inspector Jaspreet Singh.
Sources said Romi was the point man for coordination between Punjab gangsters and terrorists. After two gangsters Vicky Gounder and Prema Lahoria were killed in an encounter, the then Punjab DGP Suresh Arora had said Romi had helped Gounder procure an assault rifle. Arora had said Romi had masterminded the Nabha jailbreak by funding gangsters.
Senior officials said Romi was the “communication link” between gangsters and ISI-backed Pakistan-based terrorists. He was working through WhatsApp and VoIP platforms. Acting as a mediator among gangsters, he had allegedly ensured transfer of funds for terror activities.
