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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline MAY 02, 2025 | The Indian Eye 28

Harpreet Singh, Punjab terror

accused, arrested by FBI

OUR BUREAU
Sacramento, CA
he Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation (FBI) and Enforce-
Tment and Removal Operations
(ERO) arrested a terrorist involved in
attacks in Punjab, Harpreet Singh, in
the US on Friday.
The FBI said that Harpreet Singh
is linked to two international terrorist
groups and entered the US illegally.
According to the FBI, he used burner
phones to evade capture.
In a post shared on X, FBI Sac-
ramento stated, “Today, Harpreet
Singh, an alleged terrorist responsible
for terror attacks in Punjab, India, was
arrested by the FBI and ERO in Sac-
ramento. Linked to two international
terrorist groups, he entered the U.S.
illegally and used burner phones to
evade capture.”
On March 23, the National Inves-
tigation Agency (NIA) chargesheeted
four terror operatives of the Babbar
Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist
organisation in the 2024 Chandigarh
grenade attack case. The chargesheet-
ed accused include Pakistan-based other accused, Rohan Masih and
Designated Individual Terrorist Har- Vishal Masih, to conduct reconnais-
winder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, and sance on the target twice before hurling
US-based Harpreet Singh alias Hap- the grenade, investigations revealed.
py Passia. In the charge sheet filed before
The two terrorists were the pri- the Special NIA Court, Chandigarh
mary handlers and conspirators be- in the case RC15/2024/NIA/DLI,
hind the attack. They had provided all four accused persons have been
logistical support, terror funds, weap- charged under multiple sections of
ons, and ammunition to India based the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
on-ground operatives in Chandigarh Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substanc-
for executing the grenade attack. The es Act, and other related provisions,
September 2024 attack was intended for their roles in planning and sup-
to target a retired officer of Punjab porting the attack. Investigations in
Police, who the assailants believed to the case are continuing and NIA is
be the occupant of the house. trying to track down other members
Investigations revealed that Rin- of the BKI terror group and dismantle
da, along with Happy Passia, had or- its network in India.
chestrated the conspiracy to strike Earlier in December last year, the
terror among law enforcement offi- Punjab Police has dismantled a Paki-
cials and general public through the stan-ISI-backed terror module being
grenade attack, as part of the broad- operated by Babbar Khalsa Interna-
er aim to promote BKI’s terrorist tional (BKI), being operated by Har-
agenda. They had recruited local op- preet Singh alias Happy Passia and
eratives, namely Rohan Masih and Shamsher alias Honey with the arrest
Vishal Masih, who were tasked with of its five members including master-
carrying out the attack under their di- mind Abhijot Singh involved in lobby-
rect instructions. ing hand-grenade at two police estab-
Rinda and Happy directed the lishments in Batala and Gurdaspur.

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