Happy Passia, a wanted Khalistani terrorist, is expected to be extradited from the United States to India soon. Currently in US custody, he is slated to arrive at Delhi Airport under high security.
Passia was apprehended on April 17 in Sacramento, California, by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after extensive collaboration with Indian agencies. He is accused of involvement in multiple terror attacks in Punjab, mainly targeting police stations and public sites. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had declared Passia a wanted terrorist and announced a Rs 5 lakh reward for information on him in cases like the Chandigarh grenade attack.
Intelligence sources claim Passia had direct ties to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and received support from Babbar Khalsa International and Harvinder Singh Rinda's group. He is accused of planning grenade attacks and other acts of violence across Punjab over the past two years. Passia is believed to have been involved in over 14 terror incidents in Punjab between 2024 and 2025, primarily targeting police stations and security personnel. These include grenade attacks in Ajnala, Gurbakhsh Nagar, and Majitha, as well as a temple attack in Amritsar that led to a police encounter.
Authorities have credited the arrest to months of collaboration between Punjab Police, central intelligence units, and US law enforcement tracking overseas Khalistani networks. Once extradited, Passia will be presented in Indian courts and prosecuted under anti-terror laws, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Officials expect that Passia's interrogation could reveal information about a broader global terror network involving Pakistan's ISI and foreign-based Khalistani groups.
Punjab Police officers stated that Happy Passia functioned as a direct asset of Pakistan's ISI, executing tasks under the direction of Harwinder Singh Rinda. They view his anticipated extradition as a diplomatic victory and a sign of India's strengthened counter-terror collaboration with the United States. According to a senior officer, upon extradition, Harpreet Singh will be interrogated by the NIA and the Punjab Police, with a focus on uncovering the international network of terror funding, recruitment, and logistics, particularly his links with overseas Khalistani cells and handlers within Pakistan's ISI.
Another senior Punjab Police officer said that the extradition of Passia would present a rare opportunity to expose the technical infrastructure, tradecraft, and digital tools used by terrorist groups to radicalize vulnerable Indian youth and orchestrate attacks on Indian soil from abroad. His detention and potential extradition are viewed as a major setback to the ecosystem of overseas-based terrorism that has long targeted India. Terror groups like BKI have leveraged diasporic enclaves and digital platforms to spread anti-India propaganda, raise funds, and plan attacks.
In January 2024, Passia, along with Rinda, facilitated the killing of Hardeep Singh from Dera Baba Nanak. The Punjab Police arrested the shooters and recovered the weapon used in the crime. In April 2024, Sandeep Bedi, also known as Shera, was killed by associates of Passia. Investigations later revealed the involvement of an Indian Army deserter, Jeevan Fauji, who subsequently fled to Germany and is now coordinating the activities of the Rinda–Passia terror network from abroad.
