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Babbar Khalsa terrorist Parminder Pindi extradited from UAE
Pindi, an aide of foreign-based terrorists Harwinder Singh Rinda and Happy Passia, was wanted in connection with heinous crimes, including petrol bomb attacks and extortion rackets in Batala and Gurdaspur.
Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Parminder Singh alias Pindi, who was allegedly involved in multiple heinous crimes, has been extradited from Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav said on Saturday.
Pindi, a close aide of foreign-based terrorists Harwinder Singh Rinda and Happy Passia, was wanted in connection with several heinous crimes, including the petrol bomb attacks and extortion rackets in Batala and Gurdaspur.
Pindi was extradited in close coordination with central agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), DGP Yadav posted on X.
The operation was carried out following a red corner notice (RCN) issued at the request of Batala police.
On Indian agencies pursuing the matter with the UAE, Pindi was arrested last month, after which a team of Batala Police was sent to the UAE to take his custody.
“A four-member Punjab Police team led by a senior officer travelled to the UAE on September 24 and in coordination with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the UAE authorities, completed all legal formalities to bring the accused back to India,” the DGP said adding that the extradition reflects Punjab Police’s zero-tolerance towards terrorism and organised crime and highlights its growing international cooperation and investigative reach.
Pindi, a resident of Harsha in Batala, is a key operative of a dangerous terror-criminal syndicate. The accused was using different social media platforms to coordinate crimes and finance his operations, the DGP said.
Police sources, who didn’t wish to be named, said Pindi used to work for Happy Passia and Rinda to extort money and then circulate that money to carry out terror activities in Punjab on the behest of his bosses. Passia was arrested by the FBI, Sacramento, on April 18 this year.
Pindi is facing seven serious cases, including hurling a petrol bomb at a liquor vendor in Batala and running an extortion racket, the officials added.
“He fled to the UAE in 2023, where he had set up a full-fledged office to run an extortion racket here. UAE was given a complete dossier of his activities and his relationship with Rinda and Passia, who are designated BKI terrorists,” a senior police official, who coordinated with the Central agencies to nab Pindi, said, pleading anonymity.
“We are thankful to the ministry of external affairs (MEA), the government of the United Arab Emirates, CBI, and other central agencies for their invaluable cooperation in this joint effort to uphold justice and strengthen national security,” the DGP said.
Batala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Suhail Qasim Mir said that given the gravity of crimes committed by Pindi and his direct links to Pakistan-based terrorists Harwinder Rinda and Happy Passia, CBI secured a red corner notice (RCN) against him through INTERPOL at the behest of the Batala police.
“This global alert was pivotal in tracing his movements and eventual location in Abu Dhabi,” he said.
The SSP said that with the arrest of Pindi, police have dismantled a critical node in a transnational terror network.
Notably, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on April 18 arrested Happy Passia in the US. Passia is wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Punjab Police in several cases of terror attacks.
“While Rinda is said to be settled in Pakistan, Punjab, and has become a self-styled head of BKI and runs his network from Lahore. The proceedings to extradite Passia are on,” a senior Punjab Police official said..
