WASHINGTON, July 14— Pavittar Singh Batala, a gangster from Punjab and a fugitive on India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) most-wanted list, has been arrested in the United States along with seven others linked to Khalistani terror outfits, in connection with a violent gang-related kidnapping and torture case.
The arrests were carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on July 11 across multiple locations in the U.S. state of California, according to a statement posted by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office on social media platform X on July 12.
Batala, who is reportedly affiliated with the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), has long been under Indian security agencies’ radar for alleged involvement in terror activities. The other arrested individuals were identified as Dilpreet Singh, Arshpreet Singh, Amritpal Singh, Vishal (surname not released), Gurtaj Singh, Manpreet Randhawa, and Sarabjit Singh.
“All suspects were taken into custody based on five coordinated search warrants and are now lodged in the San Joaquin County Jail,” the sheriff’s office said. They face a string of serious felony charges, including kidnapping, torture, conspiracy to commit a crime, false imprisonment, witness intimidation, and assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Gang enhancement charges have also been added.
Law enforcement also recovered a significant arsenal during the operation: five handguns (including a fully automatic Glock), one assault rifle, several hundred rounds of ammunition, high-capacity magazines, over $15,000 in cash, and tools suspected to be used in arms manufacturing.
As a result, additional weapons-related charges have been filed, ranging from illegal possession of an assault weapon and a machine gun to the manufacture of a short-barreled rifle and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm.
“This takedown was part of the FBI’s ‘Summer Heat’ initiative,” the sheriff’s statement said. “The operation reflects Director Kash Patel’s commitment to the American people to crush crime and restore safety in neighbourhoods across the country.”
Indian agencies are now coordinating with U.S. authorities regarding Batala’s potential extradition, officials said, as the arrests have cast a fresh spotlight on Khalistani-linked criminal networks operating internationally.
