The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has initiated “proclamation” proceedings under Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) against US-based gangster-terrorist Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, Armenia-based Shamsher Singh alias Shera and seven others, people familiar with the matter said. The group is part of a network allegedly behind a grenade attack on a police station in Punjab.
Proclamation proceedings are steps taken by a court to force an accused person or witness who is absconding or hiding to appear, so as to evade an arrest warrant.
Passia’s links and status
Passia is linked to the banned pro-Khalistan outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). According to intelligence officials in Delhi, he worked with Lawrence Bishnoi’s network through Bishnoi’s deputy Satwinder Singh alias Goldy Brar, as well as with the rival gang led by Davinder Bambiha/Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala.
Multiple agencies have documented close ties between the Bishnoi gang and the BKI in court filings and intelligence reports. In June 2025, the NIA filed a charge sheet against Brar over the December 10, 2024 grenade attacks on two Gurugram clubs, Warehouse Club and Human Club in Sector 29. The attacks were part of a broader BKI conspiracy to stoke communal disharmony and disturb peace in Haryana and nearby areas.
Passia, wanted in more than 33 cases by the NIA and the Haryana and Punjab police, was arrested by US authorities on April 16 last year and is reportedly in a US prison. The NIA, however, regards him as an absconder until he is brought back to India, and Indian agencies have received no formal word on his current status.
Why the move matters
Officials said declaring Passia, Shera and the seven others absconders is significant because the nexus between north India-based gangsters and terrorists is back in focus following attacks on celebrities, including Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. They added that “BKI and gangsters worked together.”
An officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proclamation would also allow the NIA to pursue further legal steps, such as attaching properties and seeking trial in absentia.
The case
Officials said the proceedings relate to the April 2025 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Qila Lal Singh police station in Batala district, Gurdaspur.
Besides Passia and Shera, those the agency wants declared absconders are Jaswinder Singh alias Baagi, Maninder Singh alias Billa, Malwinder Singh alias Sukh, Abhay Pratap Singh alias Raju, Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi Navasherian, Karan Singh alias Abhi and Akash Singh.
A second officer said all of them “are hiding in the US, Armenia and Malaysia.” The officer added that the accused procured weapons, ammunition and explosives to target the Qila Lal Singh station and several other police stations in Punjab and Haryana, and are wanted in other similar incidents.
The agency had already filed a charge sheet in the case in October last year, naming 11 arrested accused. It alleged that BKI operatives based abroad planned the attack with help from associates in India, and that overseas handlers exploited personal vulnerabilities and used social media to radicalise and recruit young people in Punjab.
