How was gangster-turned-radical Happy Passia cornered in the US?
After a two-year-long battle, the Punjab Police finally cornered gangster-turned-radical Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, in the USA, leading to his arrest in Sacramento, California, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Police officials claim the arrest marks a significant victory for the Punjab Police, who had been relentlessly pursuing Passia for his alleged involvement in multiple terror-related incidents across Punjab.
The Punjab Police played a pivotal role in tracking Passia’s movements and sharing intelligence with the US authorities. They compiled a comprehensive dossier detailing Passia’s criminal activities, including 14 grenade attacks, one IED blast, and one RPG attack in Punjab. The police collaborated with central intelligence agencies and shared critical information with FBI’s legal office in New Delhi, which facilitated the arrest.
The pursuit included legal actions through Look-Out Circulars (LOCs) and Blue Corner notices, which were regularly issued against Passia, highlighting his involvement in terror activities and organised crime. Despite the challenges, the police successfully tracked and busted his terrorist network between 2023 and 2025.
The Punjab Police uncovered Passia’s links with Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda and the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), which were instrumental in planning terror modules. According to Punjab Police sources, Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, a native of Passia village in Ramdass (Amritsar), is a key operative of the proscribed terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
Passia is closely aligned with Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh, alias Rinda, who has been designated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Both individuals are said to operate under the direction and facilitation of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). According to the Punjab Police, Passia and Rinda orchestrated a sustained campaign of terror and extortion across Punjab, Maharashtra, and other states, acting as instruments of ISI’s broader agenda to foment unrest and destabilise internal security.
Their activities targeted police establishments, retired and serving police officers, liquor contractors, businessmen, and socio-religious leaders, with the intent to create fear and disrupt communal harmony. Between 2023 and early 2025, the duo escalated their activities in Punjab through targeted terror strikes, including arson, extortion, and attacks on police establishments. Punjab Police sources revealed that they exploited vulnerable youth struggling with addiction, recruiting them to carry out these acts in exchange for money and narcotics.
Passia is described as a direct asset of Pakistan’s ISI, executing tasks under the direction of BKI chief Harwinder Singh, alias Rinda, to advance ISI’s destabilisation agenda in India. His arrest in the United States by FBI and ICE marks a significant step in dismantling the terror network operating under ISI’s patronage.
