SACRAMENTO: The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested Harpreet Singh, an Indian national accused of involvement in multiple terror attacks in India, including a high-profile grenade assault in Chandigarh in 2023.
Singh, who was apprehended on Thursday in Sacramento, California, is allegedly a senior operative of the banned Sikh separatist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). Indian authorities have long sought his arrest in connection with funding and facilitating terrorism in the Punjab region.
According to a statement released by the FBI’s Sacramento division on X (formerly Twitter), Harpreet Singh entered the US illegally and had been evading capture by using burner phones and encrypted communication platforms. “Linked to two international terrorist groups, he entered the US illegally and used burner phones to evade capture,” the FBI said in a post confirming the arrest.
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) had earlier issued a red corner notice against Singh and offered a cash reward for information leading to his detention. The NIA alleges Singh was directly involved in orchestrating the September 2023 grenade attack targeting a retired police officer in Chandigarh, providing funding and logistical support to the attackers while operating from abroad.
Indian officials further claim that Singh has been instrumental in channeling weapons, funds, and strategic assistance to BKI operatives within the country. The banned outfit is accused of promoting armed separatism and has been linked to a series of violent incidents over the past several years.
US authorities confirmed Singh is currently in federal custody. Legal proceedings are expected to determine whether he will be extradited to India. The arrest is being viewed as a significant development in growing US-India cooperation on counterterrorism efforts, particularly in tracking and dismantling transnational extremist networks.
Harpreet Singh’s case comes amid heightened scrutiny of individuals with alleged militant ties operating overseas. It also follows recent revelations involving other US-based individuals suspected of links to extremist activities targeting Indian interests.
