Author Topic: UK resident of Indian descent arrested in Algarve wanted for murder and bombings.  (Read 8996 times)

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Offline John

Here is a curious one for which I myself can have some empathy having had the same thing done to me by the Scottish Government using Interpol and the Spanish authorities as scapegoats.

Indian arrested in Algarve wanted for murder and bombings

ALGARVE · 23-12-2015

An Évora court has upheld the detention of an Indian national accused of bomb attacks and murder, who was arrested on 18 December in a hotel in the Algarve and could now face extradition to India.

Paramjeet, a truck driver in England, was given political asylum and indefinite leave to stay in the UK twenty years ago.



Paramjeet Singh was arrested by SEF border and immigration inspectors on an extradition request issued by Interpol.
He is wanted by India for alleged involvement in bomb attacks carried out in 2010 in the Patiala and Ambala regions, as well as being accused of being behind the murder of the leader of the national Hindu movement in 2009.
In a statement SEF said the Interpol warrant describes Singh, who is in his 40s, as a “dangerous and violent” man.
Singh’s Interpol sheet says he is wanted by the judicial authorities of India for prosecution and/or to serve a sentence, for charges of a terrorist act, murder and unlawful activities.
Reports in Portugal claim Singh, who is said to be a staunch defender of the Punjab independence movement, had just arrived in the Algarve with his wife and four young children for a short break, when he was arrested by SEF inspectors at an Algarve hotel.
Speaking to newspaper Diário de Notícias, New York-based lawyer Gurpatw.. Pannun, who defends cases involving members of the Sikh community, said the Indian “has been living as a political refugee in the UK for the past 20 years and the terrorism accusations are false.”
“He is not a terrorist. The accusations from India are politically motivated”, accused Pannun, who was due to travel to Portugal to oversee the case and says he hopes Singh is not extradited by Évora.
“Any Sikh who defends Punjab independence risks having an accusation of this type in India”, Pannun claimed.
Singh’s extradition is also contested by the Sikh Council UK, an organisation which defends the religious community in the UK.
In a post on Facebook the Sikh Council UK said it is “concerned about the welfare of Paramjeet Singh who was arrested in Portugal and faces possible deportation to India.”
“As many are aware of the case of Paramjeet Singh from the UK who has been arrested in Portugal under international Interpol law. Paramjeet Singh and his family reside in UK and were awarded indefinite leave to remain as refugee under UK/international human rights laws”, the Council elaborated, adding “Members of Sikh Council have been in liaison directly with Paramjeet Singh who is currently in custody of Immigration in Portugal.”
The council further said it is “in close contact with Singh’s wife; Contact has been made with the British Consulate in Portugal”, and “the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been alerted with full details.”
In comments to The Portugal News, the British Embassy in Portugal explained “as Mr. Singh is not a British national we are not providing consular assistance.”

http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/indian-arrested-in-algarve-wanted-for-murder-and-bombings/37001

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« Last Edit: January 26, 2016, 03:11:25 PM by John »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John



24 December 2015

It is to be noticed that during the visit of Indian PM Narendra Modi to UK, he personally handed a dossier of accusations against UK Sikhs to David Cameron. The dossier was compiled by his security advisor Ajit Doval, who incidentally, was one of the key individuals  instrumental in planning Operation Bluestar, leading to the government’s attack on Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple), in Amritsar in 1984.

It seems as if the UK have attempted to mask their involvement by waiting for Pamma to step off-shore, and using Interpol to make the arrest.

http://singhstation.net/2015/12/punjab-police-begin-groundwork-to-extradite-parmjit-singh-pamma/
« Last Edit: January 05, 2016, 06:21:18 PM by John »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John

British MP challenges Portugal to “reflect pretty quickly” on judges’ “ridiculous” dilly-dallying over alleged terrorist arrested in Albufeira



7 January 2016

British MP John Spellar has spoken out against what he claims is the “ridiculous” decision by Évora judges to delay a decision on extraditing an alleged terror suspect to “almost certain torture and death” in India.



The constituency MP of father-of-four Paramjeet Singh - arrested in Albufeira just before Christmas - was reacting to the appeal court’s move earlier this week to remand Singh to yet another three weeks behind bars for crimes which have already been investigated and found to hold insufficient evidence for prosecution.

Talking to local reporters in Singh’s adopted hometown of Smethwick, Labour MP Spellar said that he understood that Évora judges had given the Indian government “extra time” to formalise their extradition request, which he said was “quite frankly ridiculous”.

“If they have put out a warrant, they should have got their story straight and sorted before that.”

Spellar told the Midlands Express & Star that he would be raising the issue in parliament.

This is just the latest voice to speak out against the detention in Portugal of delivery driver Singh, who was granted political asylum in UK in 1999, with “indefinite leave to remain until 2023”.

As Spellar stressed, it is not only this case that is at issue, “it is the principle as well”.

Singh “has been given protection by the British state and it is quite absurd. If the Indian government had a case, they should have presented it to the British government.

“Clearly they have not got a case as they should have presented it to Portugal straight away. It is extremely unsatisfactory and Portugal ought to reflect on it pretty quickly”.

As the Resident has been stressing since Singh’s detention on a red corner notice recently issued by Interpol, Indian authorities claim he is a leading member of an outlawed Sikh separatist terror group and responsible for bombings and a murder in 2009 and 2010 in the Punjab. Singh’s legal representatives have continually stressed that he was not even in India during these years, as he has been living under the protection of asylum in UK since his brother and other members of his family were killed allegedly by Indian authorities.

Following this story since December 19, the Resident has received a number of emails and messages from Sikhs lending their voices to the calls to ‘bring Singh home to his family’.

One, who told us he had no connection to the father-of-four, explained: “Anyone who raises their voice in India is called a terrorist. The Indian state has killed more than 100,000 Sikhs since 1984 when 3,000 were burnt alive in New Delhi.

Women aged 7-80 were raped for three days by gangs of 70-80 people. Thousands of Sikh young people were murdered. No action was taken. They were Sikhs, nothing else. Why do you think we want a separate country of the Punjab?”

The same writer said any efforts made on Singh’s behalf “may save a life and his family”.

It is this that is uniting supports and seeing Sikh delegations approach the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as hundreds of constituency MPs in UK, while Singh remains in a prison cell in Braga.

Singh’s local councillor Preet Gill vows all the efforts will continue “and we are looking for ways forwards”.

natasha.donn@algarveresident.com

http://portugalresident.com/british-mp-challenges-portugal-to-%E2%80%9Creflect-pretty-quickly%E2%80%9D-on-judges%E2%80%99-%E2%80%9Cridiculous%E2%80%9D-dilly-dallying#sthash.ztK7ZhKl.dpuf
« Last Edit: January 14, 2016, 02:33:46 AM by John »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John

India to assure Portugal: “We won’t hang” father-of-four arrested in Albufeira



10 January 2016

As the extradition battle over the fate of an Indian father-of-four arrested on a family holiday in Albufeira approaches its deadline, a news service in India is running a story headlined: “Pamma won’t hang, Punjab to tell Portugal”.



It is a “mandatory” assurance, explains the Tribune News Service, and appears not to have satisfied any of the human rights activists and supporters waging a tireless campaign to get the political refugee released from his jail cell in Braga and returned to the safety of his asylum in UK.

“Portugal cannot fully consider the facts of a person who entered their jurisdiction for a day” Paramjeet Singh’s Labour councillor Preet Kaur Gill told the Resident, stressing that the red corner notice issued by Interpol was almost certainly “bogus”.

“These notices are being abused by countries around the world”, she said. “Just take a look at the latest information by Fair Trials International and you will see that Interpol’s whole system needs tightening up to ensure that erroneous information is not sent out to police forces”.

The Resident has been following the case of the 42-year-old delivery driver detained by Portuguese police at an Albufeira hotel just before Christmas principally because it throws up more questions than it answers.

Sikh asylum seeker Paramjeet has been living by all accounts peacefully in the West Midlands of England since 1999.

He has frequently travelled to Portugal for holidays and is even believed to own a property here.

He has never had any trouble with any kind of arrest warrant since he was granted political asylum in UK over 15 years ago - but following the official visit of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to the UK last November, a red corner notice labelling him a terror suspect suddenly entered Interpol’s system.

The Sikh's friends and supporters affirm to be a “hard-working family man” was suddenly labelled “dangerous and violent” and responsible for bomb attacks in the Punjab and the murder of a politician.

The alleged atrocities all took place almost a decade after Paramjeet had fled India for good and, according to lawyers and those spearheading the campaign for his release, were all thoroughly investigated by Indian and British police ten years ago. The result of the 11-month inquiry was that the ‘evidence’ presented by Indian authorities was “unsatisfactory”, and thus no charges transpired.

Since that time, three other alleged co-conspirators have been tried and absolved of their charges, a Sikh news service has revealed.

But another aspect of this battle is that India “cannot be trusted to keep its word”, say campaigners. And it is “notorious for its persecution of Sikhs”.

“History tells a story of human rights violations, disappearances and fake encounters,” Preet Kaur Gill explained. “Sikhs have little faith in promises made by India”.

Indeed, the Sikh Federation responded to the Tribune News Service story, tweeting: “India laying trap for Portugal to extradite”...

One of the Portuguese lawyers involved in the battle told journalists before Christmas that Paramjeet faces a possible death sentence if he is sent to India.

“Do you imagine I would leave my client to die? Or to be sent to prison in perpetuity? Obviously, I will not”, said Manuel Ferreira.

Thus lobbying continues, as the January 26 deadline set by Évora appeal court approaches.

Sikhs “from all over the world” have been writing to over 200 British MPs and tomorrow (Monday), Labour MP John Spellar will be heading a delegation to plead Paramjeet’s case with the British Foreign Office.

Spellar has already dubbed Portugal’s handling of the affair “quite frankly ridiculous” - saying judges in Évora should “reflect pretty quickly” on whether there is a case to answer.

“If the Indian government had a case, it should have presented it to the British government”, he stressed.

As for Paramjeet - now entering his fourth week behind bars in Braga - he is described as staying “strong for his family” who themselves have appealed directly to British prime minister David Cameron to “pressurise Portugal” to prevent the extradition.

natasha.donn@algarveresident.com


http://portugalresident.com/india-to-assure-portugal-%E2%80%9Cwe-won%E2%80%99t-hang%E2%80%9D-father-of-four-arrested-in-albufeira#sthash.rMVbOTFo.dpuf
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline Angelo222

This case makes me so mad.  How many other foreigners are hiding out in London with questionable pasts who have been given indefinite leave to stay in the UK and who are using our country as a platform to promote their political views by proxy?

It is estimated there are over 100,000 Russian nationals resident in the London region...wtf!!
De troothe has the annoying habit of coming to the surface just when you least expect it!!

Je ne regrette rien!!

Offline John

Indian police on way to Portugal over extradition battle



By Natasha Donn
20 January 2016




A report in the Hindustan Times of India has suggested a “four member police team” will be leaving for the Portuguese capital of Lisbon “most probably by Thursday” to seek custody of Indian Sikh Paramjeet Singh - whose plight has seen British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn appeal directly to Portuguese prime minister António Costa (click here).

The report describes Singh as a “Khalistani terrorist… wanted in at least two murder cases” and “believed to be a key conspirator” behind two high-velocity bomb blasts in the Punjab in 2010.

The charges have been endlessly refuted by Singh’s defence team as well as his multitude of supporters within the Sikh community in the UK who all affirm they are politically motivated and relate to crimes that took place long after Singh had left India for good.

But the pro-Indian news report suggests its country’s authorities are “quite sure” they will win custody of the father-of-four, granted political asylum in the UK over 15 years ago.

The case is due for a decisive extradition hearing in Évora on Tuesday January 26.

natasha.donn@algarveresident.com

http://portugalresident.com/indian-police-on-way-to-portugal-over-extradition-battle#sthash.MQ3lmBfh.dpuf
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John

This case has been moved to the main board due to the interest it is generating both in England and in India.
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.