Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, a gangster-turned-terrorist who has been held in the US, was wanted in orchestrating 16 terror attacks including 14 grenade attacks in Punjab, official sources said on Friday.Passia (29) was held by the FBI and the US Immigration department’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), in Sacramento in the US.
In January, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on Passia in connection with a hand grenade attack on a house in Chandigarh in September last year.
Passia and Pakistan-based designated terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda were among the four accused named in a charge sheet in the case by the NIA.
Punjab Police investigation had found that Passia provided the accused with explosives, weapons and logistical support through his local associates.
The September 2024 attack was intended to target a retired Punjab Police officer, who the assailants believed to be the occupant of the house in Sector 10, Chandigarh.
A total of 33 FIRs have been registered at different police stations and 10 look out circulars have been issued against Passia, according to a dossier prepared by Punjab Police