PTI
Harpreet Singh, also known as Happy Passia or Jora, a fugitive gangster-turned-terrorist wanted in connection with a series of terror attacks in Punjab, has been apprehended in the United States, officials confirmed on Friday.
According to a statement from FBI Sacramento, Singh was detained in Sacramento through a joint operation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Singh had entered the US illegally and was using burner phones and encrypted messaging apps to avoid detection.
“Harpreet Singh, linked to terror incidents in Punjab, India, was arrested today by #FBI and #ERO in Sacramento. He is associated with two international terror outfits and had been evading capture using untraceable communication methods,” the FBI posted on X.
Authorities in Punjab revealed that Singh is suspected to be behind at least 16 terror incidents, including 14 grenade attacks across the state. He is also believed to have collaborated with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Khalistan-linked Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
Earlier this year, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a reward of ₹5 lakh for information leading to Singh’s arrest in connection with a grenade attack on a residence in Chandigarh in September 2024. He was among four individuals named in the NIA charge sheet, which also included Pakistan-based BKI operative Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda.
Investigations by Punjab Police indicated that Singh facilitated the attacks by supplying explosives, weapons, and logistical support through his associates in India. The September 2024 attack reportedly targeted a retired police officer in Chandigarh’s Sector 10.
Punjab Police records show that Singh has been named in 33 FIRs and is the subject of 10 lookout notices. Originally from Pashia village in Amritsar district, he left for Dubai in April 2018, returned to India in early 2019, and later traveled to London in October 2020 before eventually settling in the US.
Singh’s early involvement in crime was linked to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang. His known associates include US-based individuals Darmanjot Singh (alias Darman Kahlon) and Amritpal Singh (alias Amrit Bal). His ties to Harwinder Singh Rinda deepened his role in terror activities.
Between September and October 2023, Singh and Rinda orchestrated extortion and terror acts targeting liquor contractors and businessmen in Punjab. Several incidents, including shootings and arson at liquor shops in Batala and Amritsar, were carried out to intimidate victims into compliance.
The Rinda–Passia network reportedly set up multiple criminal modules aimed at attacking police personnel, Hindu religious processions, and business establishments to raise funds for extremist activities. Police have since dismantled several of these modules.
According to officials, between late 2024 and early 2025, the network executed 16 attacks in Punjab, which included grenade attacks, an improvised explosive device (IED) blast, and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) strike on police buildings and officers’ homes.
One major incident involved the planting of an IED near Ajnala Police Station on November 23, 2024, and an RPG attack on the Qila Lal Singh police facility in Gurdaspur during the night of April 6–7.
Singh is alleged to have coordinated these attacks under Rinda’s guidance, working alongside associates based in the US and Germany, such as Gurdev Singh Jaisal Pehalwan, Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi Nawanshehria, and Swaran Singh alias Jeevan Faujia.
The group has also been accused of recruiting vulnerable youth, particularly those struggling with substance abuse, and luring them into terrorist operations with promises of cash and drugs. In December 2024, Punjab Police arrested a 17-year-old involved in planting the Ajnala IED, who confessed to being recruited with such inducements.( PTI)
