FBI Nabs India’s Most Wanted Khalistani Terrorist in U.S. Crackdown

In a major blow to transnational crime, the FBI arrested eight Khalistani terrorists, including Pavittar Singh Batala, a Punjab gangster on India’s NIA most-wanted list, in a gang-related kidnapping and torture case in San Joaquin County, California, on July 11, 2025. Batala, linked to the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), is wanted in India for terror activities, including orchestrating attacks with BKI operative Lakhbir Singh Landa.

The operation, part of the FBI’s Summer Heat initiative under Director Kash Patel, involved SWAT teams from Stockton, Manteca, and Stanislaus County, executing five search warrants. The suspects—identified as Dilpreet Singh, Amritpal Singh, Arshpreet Singh, Manpreet Randhawa, Sarabjit Singh, Gurtaj Singh, and Vishal (last name undisclosed)—face charges of kidnapping, torture, false imprisonment, witness intimidation, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and illegal weapons possession, including a fully automatic Glock and an assault rifle. Authorities seized six firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and over $15,000 in cash.

The sheriff’s office described the arrests as a step to “restore safety” in U.S. communities, with Indian agencies reportedly coordinating with U.S. counterparts for Batala’s possible extradition. The case highlights the growing trend of Indian fugitives, like Goldy Brar and Anmol Bishnoi, using North America as a hideout for criminal operations.

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