Paramjeet Singh is to be released from jail in Beja on the say-so of the Portuguese authorities and soon will return to the UK.
India’s flimsy extradition request was rejected by Evora High Court on the advice of Portugal’s Minister of Justice, Francisca van Dunem, and Singh, arrested last December as he enjoyed a family holiday in Albufeira, will soon be on his way home to the delight of his family and the thousands of Sikhs who have batted for justice and his release.
Singh's extradition had been sought in the 2009 murder case of Rulda Singh, chief of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, three cases of causing an explosion and a fake passport case. A team of Punjab Police officials led by deputy inspector general Balkar Singh recently travelled to Portugal to file the extradition case.
Francisca van Dunem advised the rejection of the case put by the Indian authorities which could have resulted in a sentence of execution in India.
As Singh has refugee status he is entitled to travel wherever he wishes within EU countries without hindrance.
Singh was given asylum in the UK in September 2000 along with travel papers dated to 2023 enabling him movement within the EU.
At the time of his application, the UK authorities looked into India’s claims that Singh had been involved in acts of terrorism but concluded that there was no case to answer and granted him asylum.
The Portuguese authorities said today that "the decision of the Minister of Justice is based not only on the UN Convention on Refugees, ratified by 145 countries including Portugal and the UK, but also the EU treaty covering a common asylum policy across the European Union."
The repercussions have yet fully to be felt as Singh’s legal team has alleged all along that the Interpol Red Notice used to secure his arrest was a politically motivated misuse of the international alert system.
In addition to demonstrations by Sihks outside many embassies across the world, UK MPs have voiced concerns over Singh’s treatment and the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa asking for his urgent intervention.
This is a firm and correct decision by Francisca van Dunem who must now advise the SEF borders police to reject Interpol arrest notices when valid asylum status can be proved.
Timeline:
1999: Paramjit Singh alias Pamma arrives in UK; granted asylum a year later by British government due to fears of his maltreatment by Indian authorities
2009: RSS wing chief Rulda Singh murdered in Patiala; Punjab Police declare Pamma as mastermind
2010: Pamma also named as accused in Patiala and Ambala bomb blast cases
2011: UK authorities conduct inquiry, give clean chit to Pamma in the cases
2012: Interpol issues Red Corner notice against Pamma
2015: On family holiday in Portugal, Pamma arrested from hotel in December on the basis of Interpol notice
2016: Portuguese justice minister declines India’s extradition plea; Pamma freed.
Comments
Oh dear. People (actually, I suspect it's one person using multiple identities) who post on here and drone on about a pet subject they insist on calling "pink mapping" really ought to read this:
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapa_Cor-de-Rosa
Maybe then, they will stop taking up space with their inane driveling.
I have never met a single Portuguese who thinks "pink mapping" is a problem. Most have no idea what I'm asking about.
The last few weeks have been spent entirely in devising face saving for the Portuguese. Not face saving for the Indians. No extradition was possible if this chap already had UK refugee status. Not impressed.