Ramanjit Singh Romi (file photo)
Romi claims he is a victim of police torture and not a terrorist
Hong Kong court refuses bail to Romi wanted by Punjab police
Hong Kong, March 2, 2018: Ramanjit Singh Romi (29), a Hong Kong resident wanted by Interpol for his alleged links to terrorism, political killings and jailbreak case in Nabha, Punjab his native place, will remain in jail after a local court refused to grant him bail on Friday as he faced a separate charge over a multimillion-dollar robbery allegedly committed in the city.
Under tight security, Romi was taken to Kowloon City Court for the first time since his status as a wanted person was revealed by the media.
Citing recent alleged extra-judicial killing of two Nabha Jail escapees at the hands of Indian police, Ramanjit Singh Romi who is currently detained in Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, expressed fear for his life if extradited to Punjab, India. His detention followed Interpol warrant issued at the behest of the Indian government.
“I have been brutally tortured in 2016 while I was in Punjab where the police are pursuing a vendetta against me because of my political views. I have been framed in false cases,” he alleged.
Romi is being represented by Hong Kong based Solicitor Chaudhry Muhammad Kamran from Lai & Chaudhry LLP.
In June 2016, Romi was illegally detained and severely tortured by the Punjab police. He claimed to have been tortured through electric shocks to his private parts and water boarding.
"Considering that Romi had already been tortured brutally in 2016, his fear of being tortured and eliminated by police if extradited to India is highly credible," stated attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, the New York-based human rights lawyer who is visiting Hong Kong to coordinate Romi's defence to block his extradition to India.
Terming Romi’s case as “political” and not related to terrorism, Pannu said in an email communication that India has not ratified the UN Convention Against Torture and use of torture is rampant under Modi’s regime. “This fact is backed by various international human rights NGO reports which we will produce as evidence,” he added.
In 2016 attorney Pannu, who is also legal advisor to “Sikhs For Justice” a North American human rights advocacy group, had successfully blocked attempt to extradite Bhai Paramjeet Singh Pamma from Portugal to India. Pamma who is resident of UK, was accused by the Indian government of gunning down RSS Chief Rulda Singh and 2012 twin bombings in Punjab.