- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 22 Apr 2025 01:32 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a major development in the international war against terrorism, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Monday confirmed the arrest of Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia or Jora, an alleged member of the proscribed terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). FBI Director Kash Patel vowed that "justice will be done" after the high-profile arrest in Sacramento, California.
"CAPTURED: HARPREET SINGH, part of an alleged foreign terrorist gang, here illegally in the United States, who we believe was involved in planning multiple attacks on police stations both in India and the United States," Patel said.
CAPTURED: HARPREET SINGH, part of an alleged foreign terrorist gang here illegally in the United States, who we believe was involved in planning multiple attacks on police stations both in India and the United States.@FBISacramento conducted the investigation coordinating with… pic.twitter.com/JKB1dfjo2P
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 21, 2025
"FBI Sacramento conducted the investigation in coordination with our local partners as well as Indian counterparts. Excellent work from all involved — justice will be served. The FBI will continue to pursue those who perpetrate violence, no matter where they are," he added.
FBI-India Coordination Results In Arrest
The arrest was made on Thursday, 18th April, when FBI officers and US immigration authorities picked up Singh, who had been living in the US illegally since he entered from Mexico in 2021.
Today, Harpreet Singh, an alleged terrorist responsible for terror attacks in Punjab, India, was arrested by the #FBI & #ERO in Sacramento. Linked to two international terrorist groups, he entered the U.S. illegally and used burner phones to evade capture. pic.twitter.com/vObj2xPa8Q
— FBI Sacramento (@FBISacramento) April 18, 2025
Singh is a resident of Passia village in Punjab's Amritsar district. He had stayed briefly in the United Kingdom before entering the US illegally. Indian authorities have been seeking his extradition for years for his alleged role in various terror and drug-related offenses.
Wanted in 17 Criminal Cases in India
Harpreet Singh has been listed in 17 criminal cases by the Punjab Police, with 12 registered between November 2022 and April 2024. These cases include alleged offenses against India's anti-terror and drug laws. In March this year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) charged four BKI operatives with a chargesheet about the 2024 Chandigarh grenade attack. Harpreet Singh and Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda were identified as the main conspirators of the attack.
The September 2024 grenade attack was aimed at a house thought to be owned by a retired Punjab Police official. The NIA probe showed that Singh and Rinda extended logistical support, arms, terror financing, and strategic guidance to BKI handlers in India to carry out the attack. The conspiracy was a part of a larger initiative by BKI to revive militant operations in Punjab and other regions of India.
The successful raid is an indication of the increasing counterterrorism collaboration between Indian and American authorities. Singh's arrest is a significant setback for Babbar Khalsa International's global terror network, and could open the door to future coordinated crackdowns on similar extremist threats.
