Happy Passia, a terrorist who carried out 14 grenade assaults in Punjab, was detained in the US

 

 

The FBI claims that Harpreet Singh is connected to two foreign terrorist groups and is suspected of taking part in terror strikes in Punjab.

 

Happy Passia, also known as Harpreet Singh, is a wanted terrorist who has been implicated in over 14 recent grenade assaults in Punjab. He was taken into custody in the United States on Friday.

 

A statement from FBI Sacramento on X (formerly Twitter) claims that Singh is connected to two international terrorist groups and is suspected of taking part in terror attacks in Punjab. According to authorities, he used burner phones to evade discovery after breaking into the country illegally.

 

"The FBI and ERO in Sacramento detained Harpreet Singh, an alleged terrorist who is suspected of carrying out terror attacks in Punjab, India, today," the FBI tweeted. "He utilized burner phones to avoid capture after entering the US illegally and being linked to two international terrorist groups."

 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently filed a chargesheet against Happy Passia in relation to the grenade incident in Chandigarh in September 2024.

 

A former Punjab Police officer's home was the target of the attack, which was a component of a larger plot by the banned terrorist organization Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

 

The main conspirators behind the attack, according to the NIA, were Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu, also known as Rinda, and Passia, who operated from the US.

 

The two are accused of giving guns, money, and logistical support to agents in India. Prior to carrying out the attack, the accused allegedly instructed local recruits, Rohan and Vishal Masih, to perform reconnaissance. 

 

Sections of the Explosive Substances Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and other relevant statutes have been used to charge all four of them. Authorities are still looking into the case, which was filed under RC15/2024/NIA/DLI, in an effort to find and eliminate any remaining BKI network members.

 

A Pakistan-ISI-backed terror group purportedly led by Happy Passia and another agent, Shamsher alias Honey, was dismantled by Punjab Police in a previous operation in December 2023. That case comprised grenade attacks on police establishments in Batala and Gurdaspur, and resulted in the arrest of five people, including mastermind Abhijot Singh.

 

Passia is wanted in at least eighteen criminal cases in Punjab, many of which involve activities meant to provoke communal strife or fear.

 

In conjunction with the United States, central agencies have been actively pursuing cases involving Passia and others, according to a top Punjab Police official.