FBI chief Kash Patel on arrest of NIA’s most wanted Happy Passia in US: 'Justice will be served'

Indian American Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kash Patel has issued a statement on the arrest of gangster-turned-terrorist Harpreet Singh in the United States. Singh alias Happy Passia alias Jora, wanted in connection with multiple terror attacks across Punjab, was arrested in the US on April 18 by the FBI and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations in Sacramento. Patel has assured that justice will be done. Passia is also alleged to have collaborated with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

"Excellent work from all, and justice will be done. The FBI will continue finding those who perpetrate violence no matter where they are," the first Indian-American to lead the premier law enforcement agency of the United States said in the post.

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

"He had been evading capture by using untraceable burner phones and encrypted applications. This case reinforces the importance of international cooperation in apprehending those who threaten global security," FBI Sacramento said on April 18.

Hailing from the Indian state of Punjab, Singh has been accused of being part of multiple criminal activities for several years. He tops the wanted list of India in major cases such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Arms Act, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. In January, India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh ($5,869.10 USD) on gangster Harpreet.

Singh is an absconder in the case registered on October 1, 2024, in connection with the hand grenade attack carried out on a house in Sector 10/D, Chandigarh. On September 11, 2024, two youths threw a hand grenade at a house in Sector 10 in Chandigarh. Harpreet Singh was the mastermind of the attack.

As per a report in Hindustan Times, Passia has 10 FIRs against him for his involvement in 16 terror attacks across Punjab under the BKI terrorist group including 14 hand grenade assaults, one IED attack and one rocket propelled grenade strike between late 2024 and early 2015. Happy was initially aligned with Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang members including US based Darmanjot Singh (Darmon Khalon) and Amritpal Singh (Amrit Bal).