Punjab Police secures extradition of millionaire offender

Ludhiana, May 4 (UNI) The Punjab Police has, after years of effort finally secured the extradition of its millionaire proclaimed offender from Canada.

The police today heaved a sign of relief when officers brought back the millionaire, Malkiat Singh, who had fled to Canada in 1978 after he was granted bail in a murder case by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. A resident of Raowal village in the district, Malkiat was sentenced to life imprisonment, along with four others, in a murder case in 1975.

Giving details, SSP R K Jaiswal said that after jumping bail, Malkiat married a Canadian national and managed to secure his entry into the country. Once there, he divorced his wife and then married an NRI Punjabi girl and settled down in Canada and changed his name, he added.

Mr Jaiswal said that the police managed to track down Malkiat and gave the details to the Canadian authorities, who denied any knowledge of such a person. While in Canada, Malkiat worked hard and became a millionaire and even the owner of an 100-acre apple orchid.

However a few years back, Malkiat was taken into custody by the Royal Canadian Police after a road accident, he said and added that on investigations it was found that his fingerprints matched with those on the extradition papers sent by the Indian government.

Thereafter the extradition process was started and finally the police managed to get Malkiat back, he added.

The SSP said that the Malkiat would be produced before the judicial magistrate later.

UNI