NIA starts proclamation proceedings against Happy Passia & eight others

The NIA began legal proclamation proceedings against nine alleged members of a gangster-terrorist network. They include US-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia and Armenia-based Shamsher Singh alias Shera. The action uses Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. It matters because the accused are allegedly avoiding arrest and are linked to attacks in Punjab and elsewhere.

The proceedings concern the April 2025 rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Qila Lal Singh police station in Batala district, Gurdaspur. The NIA alleges that foreign-based Babbar Khalsa International operatives organised the attack with help from associates in India. It says the group procured weapons, ammunition and explosives.

The seven other people named 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. Officials say they are hiding in the US, Armenia and Malaysia. The proceedings could support later legal action, including property attachment and trial in absentia.

Under Section 84 of the BNSS, proclamation proceedings are legal steps a court takes against an accused person or witness who is absconding or hiding. The purpose is to compel that person to appear. In this case, the NIA is using the process against suspects who are allegedly outside India and unavailable to investigators.

The procedure matters because an arrest warrant cannot achieve its purpose when a wanted person remains beyond reach. The article identifies nine people, including Happy Passia and Shamsher Singh, as targets. Officials say all are hiding in the US, Armenia or Malaysia. Passia is wanted in more than 33 cases involving the NIA, Haryana Police and Punjab Police.

The proceedings do not mean the accused have already been brought before investigators. NIA still treats Passia as an absconder, despite his reported arrest by US authorities. Officials say the process may enable additional steps, including attaching properties and conducting a trial in absentia. It also formally records the effort to secure their appearance.

The proceedings arise from an April 2025 rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Qila Lal Singh police station in Batala district, Gurdaspur. The incident matters because investigators connect it to a wider network involving foreign-based terrorist handlers and criminal associates in India. The NIA has treated the case as part of a broader pattern of attacks and recruitment.

According to the NIA’s charge sheet, foreign-based Babbar Khalsa International operatives orchestrated the attack with support from associates in India. A senior officer said the accused procured weapons, ammunition and explosives to target Qila Lal Singh and other police stations in Punjab and Haryana. The NIA filed a charge sheet in the case in October last year, naming 11 arrested accused.

The nine people now facing proclamation proceedings are alleged network members who remain outside investigators’ reach. Officials say they are hiding in the US, Armenia and Malaysia. The case therefore combines an alleged violent attack with an international investigation. The proclamation process may help the NIA pursue property attachment or trial in absentia.

The proclamation proceedings cover nine people: Happy Passia, Shamsher Singh and seven others. Their alleged international locations make the case difficult for Indian investigators. A second officer told the newspaper that the suspects are hiding in the US, Armenia and Malaysia. The proceedings seek to compel their appearance despite their absence.

Passia is the most extensively wanted figure identified in the report. He is wanted in over 33 cases by the NIA, Haryana Police and Punjab Police. US authorities reportedly arrested him on April 16 last year, and he is said to be in a US prison. However, NIA continues to treat him as an absconder until he is brought back.

The article also notes that Indian agencies have no formal communication about Passia’s current status. The other named suspects 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. Their proclaimed status could support further court action.

Proclamation proceedings can create a legal basis for further action against people who evade arrest. In this case, an NIA officer said the process could enable provisions related to attaching properties. That would target assets connected to proclaimed absconders, subject to the legal process. The proceedings could also support a trial in absentia.

The reported mechanism is important because several suspects are allegedly hiding abroad. Passia is said to be in a US prison, while the other named people are reportedly in the US, Armenia and Malaysia. NIA nevertheless treats Passia as an absconder until he is brought back. A proclamation formally addresses the problem of an accused person not appearing before the court.

These possible steps do not amount to a final finding of guilt. They are legal consequences officials say may follow the proclamation. The NIA has already filed a charge sheet in the Qila Lal Singh case, naming 11 arrested accused. Further action would depend on court proceedings and the relevant legal requirements.

The article describes cooperation across groups that are normally presented as separate terrorist and criminal networks. Passia is associated with the banned pro-Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International. Intelligence officials say he worked with Lawrence Bishnoi’s network through Bishnoi’s deputy, Satwinder Singh alias Goldy Brar, and also with the rival Davinder Bambiha-Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala gang.

The alleged cooperation appears operational rather than ideological uniformity. BKI operatives allegedly provided the larger terror conspiracy, while associates and gang networks helped with contacts, recruitment, weapons or attacks. The NIA says foreign-based BKI handlers used Indian associates for the Qila Lal Singh attack. It also says foreign handlers exploited vulnerabilities and social media to radicalise and recruit young people in Punjab.

Multiple agencies have documented close BKI and gang links in court documents or intelligence reports, according to the article. Officials say this nexus is again in focus after attacks on celebrities, including actor Tiger Shroff. The reported pattern suggests investigations will continue to examine shared handlers, resources and recruits across criminal and terrorist networks.

Terrorist organisations and criminal gangs can cooperate because they offer different strengths. A terrorist group may provide ideological direction and attack plans. Criminal networks may provide contacts, money-making channels, weapons, transport and people willing to carry out tasks. The article presents this as a gangster-terrorist nexus, not as a merger of every group into one organisation.

The Qila Lal Singh case illustrates the alleged mechanism. The NIA says foreign-based BKI operatives orchestrated the attack with associates in India. Officials allege that the network procured weapons, ammunition and explosives. The agency also said foreign handlers exploited personal vulnerabilities and used social media to radicalise and recruit young people in Punjab.

The article links Passia to both the Bishnoi network and the rival Bambiha-Arsh Dala network. That suggests connections could cross gang rivalries when operational interests overlap. The alleged cooperation matters because it can widen access to recruits, equipment and targets. Investigators are therefore examining attacks, recruitment and supply networks together rather than treating terrorism and organised crime as entirely separate.