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Police start process for extradition of gangster Pavitar, aide from US
Set to press Interpol to issue red-corner notice against the two wanted in a dozen cases of murder, attempt to murder and extortion; cops say gangsters also in touch with pro-Khalistan elements
Punjab Police on Saturday initiated the process to get the Interpol’s red-corner notice (RCN) issued against Pavitar gang kingpin Pavitar Singh and his close aide Husandeep Singh, in a first step to extradite the gangsters from the United States where they are learnt to have been living for the last six months.
This comes a day after gangster Sukhpreet Singh Dhaliwal, alias Budda, was sent back by Armenia to India.
Pavitar and Husandeep are associated with notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and are wanted in nearly a dozen cases of murder, attempt to murder and extortion. The police are also set to start the process of issuing lookout circulars (LOCs) for the two, it was learnt.
The police swung into action after Pavitar and Husandeep’s names cropped up in the murder of Mandeep Singh, 26, of Pandoori village, was shot dead by unidentified men on November 19. At least eight bullets were pumped into his body. A member of the Pavitar gang, Harwinder Singh Sandhu, claimed responsibility of Mandeep’s murder in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
He had also claimed responsibility for firing at Triptpal, 18, of Jijiani village in Amritsar, just half-an-hour before Mandeep’s brutal murder.
“The man who was murdered in Pandoori was killed by us. We murdered him for our honour. We had an old enmity with Mandeep. If we can open 25 rounds, we can also fire 100 bullets. If anyone makes such mistake in future, he will suffer a similar fate. The police should act but no innocent should be booked in this case,” the post read.
The police have booked seven persons, including Pavitar and Harwinder, for Mandeep’s murder. Other five accused are Harman Singh of Majitha, Balraj Singh, alias Buri, of Basant Kot area in Amritsar, Aman Pehalwan of Saidoke village and Sagar of Amritsar.
An official said, “A meeting of senior police officials was held on Saturday. Directions were given in the meeting to start the process to bring Pavitar and Husandeep back from the US. Lookout circulars against the two are being issued and we will get the red corner notice from the Interpol soon.”
“We have learnt that the two are in touch with some pro-Khalistan elements in the US. We are also working to ascertain whether they are taking part in pro-Khalistan activities there,” he said.
Amritsar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vikramjit Singh Duggal, said raids were being conducted to nab the Mandeep murder case accused who are absconding. “We will also write to the authorities for taking action against the members of the gang living abroad,” he added.
On Friday, Budda, the self-styled chief of the Davinder Bambiha gang, was brought back after he was arrested by Interpol in Armenia on August 8.
Earlier this week, another gangster, Ramanjit Singh Romi, mastermind of the 2016 Nabha jailbreak, was ordered to be extradited to India from Hong Kong after the Punjab Police pursued the case. A Hong Kong court has given one month to Romi to consider filing a review petition.
