Centre to push for Goldy Brar’s speedy extradition from Canada
TORONTO: With the issuance of a red notice by Interpol against Canada-based gangster Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar, for his alleged role in the murder of Punjabi singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala, India will now formally request Ottawa to expedite the accused’s removal from the country, a senior Indian official here said.
Brar, the Punjab government said, has claimed responsibility for Sidhu’s murder in Mansa district of Punjab on May 29.
The red notice against the gangster, who shifted to Canada on a student visa in 2017, was issued on Thursday following a request by Punjab Police through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The global warrant allows 194 member countries to trace and arrest a suspect in their territories.
“Generally, host countries are expected to locate, detain and start extradition proceedings against persons under RCN (red corner notice). We will request Canada to do so bilaterally too,” the senior official told HT on condition of anonymity.
According to Punjab Police, Brar is an active member of Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The red notice against the 28-year-old said he is wanted for murder, criminal conspiracy, supply of illegal firearms and attempt to murder. Bishnoi, who is in a Delhi jail in connection with an arms case, is the mastermind behind Moosewala’s killings, Delhi special commissioner of police (special cell) Hargobinder Singh had said on Wednesday.
According to Interpol, “red notices are issued for fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence. A red notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.”
India’s decision to request to approach Canada comes amid improved cooperation between law enforcement agencies of the two countries.
A team of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had met with counterparts in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi this week. In a tweet on Tuesday, the RCMP said they “participated in a joint workshop” that covered “information sharing, investigative collaboration and tools to combat terrorism”.