Sacramento, USA, April 18, 2025 – The arrest of Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, by the FBI and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Sacramento has intensified suspicions within the Sikh diaspora that the Indian government is orchestrating efforts to defame and target their community. Passia, a member of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang and reportedly linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, was detained for allegedly masterminding 14 grenade attacks in Punjab between November 23, 2024, and January 15, 2025. These developments come on the heels of a drive-by shooting last year targeting a Sikh activist in California, further fueling allegations of transnational repression.The FBI alleges Passia illegally entered the US in 2021 via human trafficking networks and remained dormant for three years, using burner phones to evade detection. His sudden orchestration of 14 grenade attacks in Punjab—only five of which detonated, with no casualties—has raised skepticism. Punjab Police, in coordination with the FBI, claim Passia directed these attacks from the US, targeting police facilities and extorting businesses under the guidance of Pakistan-based Harwinder Singh Rinda and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).Sikh activist Gurvir Singh Bhullar, in a widely shared social media post, questioned Passia’s capabilities and motives. Bhullar highlighted that Passia, with only a 10th-grade education and no job in the US, inexplicably coordinated a sophisticated terror network after years of inactivity. “The timing aligns with global criticism of India for targeting Sikhs,” Bhullar wrote, suggesting Passia’s actions, coupled with his adoption of Sikh symbols like a beard and turban, may be part of a plot to portray him as a Sikh extremist. Bhullar also cautioned against mistaking gangsters like Passia, Bishnoi, and Bhagwanpuria for Sikh nationalists, noting their history of extortion and shifting allegiances.Adding to the community’s concerns is a drive-by shooting on August 11, 2024, targeting Satinder Pal Singh Raju, a Sikh activist and member of Sikhs for Justice, on Interstate 505 in Yolo County, California. Raju, a Woodland resident and associate of slain Khalistan advocate Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was traveling with two colleagues when a white car, possibly a Honda Civic, pulled alongside their Dodge Ram 1500 and opened fire. At least four bullets struck the driver’s side window, but miraculously, no one was injured. The truck veered into a ditch, and the occupants hid behind a haystack before calling 911. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) recovered five shell casings but has made no arrests, with the FBI assisting in the ongoing investigation. Raju, who organizes non-binding Khalistan referendums, told Reuters he believes the attack was an assassination attempt to suppress the movement, stating, “They want to stop the Khalistan referendum, but this won’t deter me.”The Sikh community links these incidents to broader allegations of Indian government involvement in transnational repression. Canadian authorities recently accused India of using criminal elements, including the Bishnoi gang, to target Sikh activists, while a foiled 2023 assassination plot against Sikhs for Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York implicated an Indian intelligence official. India has denied these claims, but the Sikh diaspora remains wary, especially after the FBI and Canadian police warned at least seven Sikh activists of life-threatening dangers following Nijjar’s 2023 killing in British Columbia.Bhullar’s post emphasized that Passia’s grenade attacks, which caused no harm, and the California shooting, could be staged to justify crackdowns on Sikh activism. “If the FBI finds no Sikh aiding Passia, it’s clear who planned this,” he asserted, urging vigilance.

Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav described Passia’s arrest as a “major milestone” against ISI-backed networks, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), with a ₹5 lakh bounty on Passia, is preparing for his extradition.The Sikh community, reeling from both the shooting and Passia’s arrest, demands transparency. Activists argue that India’s alleged use of gangsters like Passia to stage attacks, combined with violent incidents like the California shooting, aims to discredit their advocacy for Khalistan. Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains, the first Sikh American elected to California’s legislature, has introduced legislation to combat transnational repression, citing threats against herself and other Sikhs. “This is an attempt to silence our community,” she said.As investigations continue, these events have deepened distrust between the Sikh diaspora and the Indian government, with calls for accountability growing louder. Posts on X reflect this sentiment, with some alleging India is deploying gangsters to attack Sikhs abroad while staging incidents like the Punjab grenade attacks to defame the community.