Chandigarh: Following the Punjab Police’s successful extradition of fugitive gangster Amritpal Singh alias Amrit Dalam, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday claimed that the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC), set up on January 20, has secured the deportation or extradition of 10 wanted fugitives in the past seven months, while 21 more extradition proposals are pending with the Centre.Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said the “first-ever” extradition of a gangster from Europe reflects the Mann government’s “uncompromising stand” against gangsterism. He said that while previous Akali-BJP and Congress governments allowed gangsterism to flourish to the extent that leaders openly debated during the 2021 Budget Session over “whose gangster” Jaggu Bhagwanpuria was, the AAP government has pursued such fugitives across borders and ensured they are brought back to face the law.“The AAP government has left no stone unturned to eradicate drugs and gangsterism from Punjab and will not allow such elements to operate either from Punjab or from foreign soil. The OFTEC, established on January 20, 2026, has already secured the deportation or extradition of 10 wanted fugitives in seven months, while 21 more extradition proposals are pending with the Centre,” he said.“We believe these are the very elements that previous governments allowed to flourish, whether it was the 10-year Akali Dal-BJP government or the five-year Congress government,” alleged Arora, adding that gangsterism had become a major issue in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during previous regimes.“If you look at the speeches delivered during the 2021 Budget Session of the Vidhan Sabha, when the Akali Dal was in Opposition and Congress was in power, you will see how gangsters had become so emboldened that they were openly being discussed on the floor of the House,” he said.Arora said several other wanted gangsters have also been brought back from Malaysia, Indonesia, the UAE and the USA.Ajay Singh alias Ajay Malaysia and Pawandeep Singh, both wanted under the BNS and the Explosive Substances Act in cases registered at Jodhewal police station, Ludhiana, were brought back from Malaysia on August 19. Jaspreet Singh alias Jass Behbal, wanted in three FIRs registered at City Kotkapura police station in Faridkot and Tapa police station in Barnala, was also brought back from Malaysia on the same day.Manjeet Singh and Gurvinder Singh, both wanted in cases registered at Kotwali police station, Patiala, were brought back from Malaysia on June 18. Jobanjit Singh alias Billa, wanted under the Arms Act in a case registered at Beas police station, Amritsar, was brought back from Indonesia on July 24.From the UAE, Amritpal Singh Mehron, wanted in two FIRs registered in Amritsar and Barnala, was brought back on April 10. Bhuvnesh Chopra, wanted in seven FIRs registered in Ferozepur, Kharar, Fazilka and Patiala, was brought back from the UAE on March 12. Kamal alias Kamal Athwal alias Kamalpreet Singh Billa, wanted in a case registered at Machhiwara police station, Khanna, was brought back from the USA on March 24.BOX: Gangsters operating from jails: AroraWithout naming Lawrence Bishnoi, Arora appealed to the BJP-led Centre and the Akali Dal, which he said is attempting to forge an alliance with the BJP, to curb gangsters operating from jails and safe havens in BJP-ruled states.“These gangsters are not merely running local operations but are operating national and international criminal networks. Sitting in jails and safe havens in BJP-ruled states, they have hundreds, if not thousands, of operatives working under them. They target whomever they want, in whichever state or country they choose,” he said.
