US-based Khalistani militant Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, arrested in April by US authorities will be repatriated to India shortly, government sources told NDTV on Monday. Singh is alleged to have masterminded several terror attacks in Punjab and is said to have links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the outlawed Khalistani group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
Singh was taken into custody on April 18 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). FBI Director Kash Patel pledged to move quickly after Singh’s arrest, stating, “Captured Harpreet Singh, member of a claimed foreign terrorist gang here illegally in the United States, who we believe was planning multiple attacks against police stations in India and the United States,” he tweeted on X.
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 led the investigation in coordination with our local and Indian partners. Great work from everyone, and justice will be served. The FBI will keep locating the violent actors — wherever they may be,” he said.
India’s NIA Had Given a Cash Reward to Singh
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a ₹5 lakh cash reward on Singh earlier this year. He was wanted in connection with a hand grenade attack on a house in Chandigarh in a case registered in October 2023. With over 30 criminal cases to his name, Singh has remained a top priority for Indian security agencies.
From Smuggling to Terror: Singh’s Path to Radicalization
Harpreet Singh, a native of Amritsar, started his life in crime by smuggling alcohol and narcotics. He then befriended gangsters such as Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and gained infamy for his work in grenade attacks. Singh even attacked a police officer’s home after the officer had visited his residence.
In 2018, Singh went to Dubai, where he networked with Pakistani criminals. After returning to India in 2019, he once again engaged in violent crimes. Later, in 2021, he entered the US illegally through the donkey route. He then started living with BKI members Dharman Kahlon and Amrit Bal, who were known gangsters.
He then connected with terrorist Harinder Singh Rinda of Pakistan and became a member of BKI formally. Rinda also associated him with ISI and other global terror agents.
